IACBE
Advancing Academic Quality in
Business Education Worldwide
New Program Accreditation Manual
Amended December 2015
International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
11374 Strang Line Road
Lenexa, Kansas 66215, USA
PREFACE
The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) was founded in 1997 in response
to the expressed needs of presidents, chief academic officers, and business deans and chairs who wanted
an accreditation process that was mission-driven and outcomes-based. The IACBE provides specialized
accreditation to the business programs of hundreds of institutions of higher education throughout the
world whose primary purpose is excellence in teaching and learning. The IACBE’s innovative approach
to specialized business accreditation is based on the assessment of educational outcomes and the
characteristics of excellence in business education.
This manual is organized into the following four sections:

Section One: This section contains an introduction that describes the mission of the IACBE, its
philosophy of accreditation, the characteristics of excellence in business education, the scope of
accreditation, and the new program review process.

Section Two: This section provides instructions for preparing the new program self-study.

Section Three: This section contains the IACBE’s New Program Accreditation Principles along with
specific instructions for addressing each principle in the self-study.

Section Four: This section contains appendices.
The reader is encouraged to become familiar with the glossary of terms in Appendix G. This glossary
defines certain terms and expressions that are used throughout this manual.
© 2012-2016 by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education | Lenexa, Kansas | USA
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE .......................................................................................................................................0
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................. ii
LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................................................... iii
SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................1
Mission of the IACBE ..................................................................................................................1
Philosophy of Accreditation .........................................................................................................1
Characteristics of Excellence in Business Education ...................................................................2
Scope of Accreditation .................................................................................................................3
New Program Review Process .....................................................................................................6
SECTION TWO: PREPARING THE NEW PROGRAM SELF-STUDY...............................7
Cover Page ...................................................................................................................................8
Table of Contents .........................................................................................................................8
Background Information ..............................................................................................................8
Documentation of Compliance with Accreditation Principles ...................................................10
Appendices .................................................................................................................................10
SECTION THREE: NEW PROGRAM ACCREDITATION PRINCIPLES ........................11
Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment ............................................................................................12
1.1 Outcomes Assessment ......................................................................................................13
Principle 2: Curriculum ..............................................................................................................17
2.1 Program Design ................................................................................................................17
2.2 Common Professional Component ...................................................................................19
2.3 General Knowledge and Skills .........................................................................................23
2.4 Master’s Degree Curriculum ............................................................................................26
2.5 Doctoral Curriculum .........................................................................................................27
Principle 3: Faculty ....................................................................................................................28
3.1 Faculty Qualifications .......................................................................................................28
3.2 Faculty Load .....................................................................................................................33
3.3 Faculty Deployment..........................................................................................................38
Principle 4: Resources ................................................................................................................41
4.1 Financial Resources ..........................................................................................................41
4.2 Facilities ............................................................................................................................44
4.3 Learning Resources ..........................................................................................................46
4.4 Educational Technology and Support ...............................................................................47
4.5 Off-Campus Locations......................................................................................................48
Principle 5: Admissions Processes .............................................................................................50
5.1 Admissions Processes .......................................................................................................50
SECTION FOUR: APPENDICES .............................................................................................53
Appendix A: Cover Page of Self-Study .....................................................................................54
Appendix B: Example of Abbreviated Course Syllabus ............................................................55
Appendix C: Analysis of Credentials for Business Faculty .......................................................57
Appendix D: Credentials Justification Example ........................................................................59
Appendix E: Vita Outline ...........................................................................................................60
Appendix F: Integrating Strategic Planning and Outcomes Assessment ...................................61
Appendix G: Glossary of Terms ................................................................................................62
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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LIST OF TABLES
Enrollment and Degrees Conferred in New Programs .................................................................................. 9
Table 1: Summary of Common Professional Component (CPC) Activity ................................................. 22
Table 2: Undergraduate General Education Requirements ........................................................................ 25
Table 3: Faculty Qualifications .................................................................................................................. 32
Table 4(U): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated ............................................................. 35
Table 4(M): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated ............................................................ 36
Table 4(D): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated ............................................................. 37
Table 5(U): Faculty Coverage Summary ................................................................................................... 39
Table 5(M): Faculty Coverage Summary .................................................................................................. 39
Table 5(D): Faculty Coverage Summary ................................................................................................... 39
Table 6: Program Coverage ....................................................................................................................... 40
Table 7: Salary Ranges of Full-Time Faculty by Rank.............................................................................. 43
Table 8: Office Facilities for Business Faculty .......................................................................................... 45
Table 9: Evaluation of Educational Facilities ............................................................................................ 45
Table 10: Off-Campus Locations............................................................................................................... 49
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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SECTION ONE:
INTRODUCTION
Mission of the IACBE
The mission of the IACBE is to promote and recognize excellence in business education in institutions of
higher education worldwide, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, through specialized
accreditation of business programs.
For the purpose of IACBE accreditation, “business education” is interpreted to include the fields of
business administration, accounting, finance, human resources, information management, international
business, management, marketing, business law, business ethics, business communication, and businessrelated quantitative methods; and often includes related fields such as leadership, economics, and
organizational development. Institutions, academic business units,1 students, employers, and the general
public all benefit from the external assurance of quality and continuous quality improvement that are
provided through the IACBE’s accreditation process.
Philosophy of Accreditation
In promoting and fostering excellence in business education, the IACBE takes a mission-driven and
outcomes-based approach to accreditation, in which the assurance of academic quality is based on the
results of the assessment of educational outcomes rather than prescriptive input standards. Academic
resource measures, i.e., the inputs into the educational process, do not by themselves provide prima facie
evidence of the degree of academic quality. Just as managers and business organizations are evaluated in
terms of their performance and not solely on input-related criteria, so too should academic business units
be evaluated on the results of their efforts. Consequently, the focus should be on the value of those
resources to the stakeholders of the academic business unit and its parent institution in terms of their
ability to perform, i.e., their ability to produce measurable results or outcomes pertaining to actual student
learning, operational effectiveness, and mission achievement. Therefore, for IACBE purposes, “academic
quality” is defined to be the overall level of performance of the academic business unit in the context of
its mission as measured by the extent of accomplishment of the unit’s intended student learning and
operational outcomes and its mission and broad-based goals. The determination of the degree to which
desired results are being achieved and the demonstration of academic quality are accomplished through a
comprehensive program of outcomes assessment.
Adequate quantitative and qualitative levels of human, financial, and physical resources are essential
factors in determining academic quality and operational effectiveness. However, the overall quality of
education also depends on the educational processes used by the academic business unit to convert those
resources to outcomes. These include such processes as teaching and other faculty interactions with
students; faculty development and scholarly activities; curricular review and enhancement; and strategic
planning. Therefore, given the vital roles played by inputs and processes, the IABCE’s quality assurance
process involves a comprehensive set of accreditation principles pertaining to measures of academic
resources and educational processes as well as outcomes assessment. These principles are based on best
practices in business education, and are designed to promote excellence in business education through a
benchmarking process, which is helpful in determining the extent to which the academic business unit is
achieving its mission and its student learning and operational goals.
Throughout this document, the term “academic business unit” is used to designate the principal organizational unit
that is responsible for the administration of the business programs of the institution, whether that unit is a
department, division, school, college, or other organizational structure. This unit should be led by a doctorally- or
professionally-qualified business educator.
1
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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The IACBE bases its accreditation reviews on principles rather than standards. Standards and principles
are similar in that both may be used to evaluate academic quality. However, the use of prescriptive input
standards involves the specification of arbitrary thresholds and assumes that their achievement ensures
high-quality outcomes, which is not necessarily the case. On the other hand, principles allow for a
continuum of accomplishment and are used to assess outcomes, evaluate progress toward excellence, and
encourage continuous improvement. Since academic business units are unique, with differing missions,
goals, processes, and intended learning outcomes, there is no standard that fits all academic business
units, but there are principles that can apply to all academic business units.
The IACBE is committed to a developmental approach to achieving excellence in business education. The
IACBE and its members function in a collaborative and cooperative manner, and encourage each other
toward higher levels of quality in business education.
The IACBE is both flexible and innovative in applying its philosophy of accreditation. It recognizes that
business education takes place within a dynamic, complex environment that requires innovative
approaches to achieving high-quality educational outcomes.
Characteristics of Excellence in Business Education
The IACBE promotes and recognizes excellence in business education in institutions of higher education
worldwide. Excellence in business education is multidimensional and may be interpreted in different
ways depending on the educational, historical, cultural, legal/regulatory, and organizational environments
in which the academic business unit operates. The IACBE recognizes and respects this fact, but however
it is interpreted, excellence in business education normally exhibits the following common characteristics:

The academic business unit has a clearly defined mission and broad-based goals that are consistent
with those of the institution.

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The academic business unit engages in a strategic planning process that is driven by the approved
mission and broad-based goals of the academic business unit, is consistent with the strategic planning
process of the institution, and is in touch with the realities of business education and the marketplace.

The academic business unit has developed and implemented an outcomes assessment process that
promotes continuous improvement in its business programs and its operations, and is linked to the
strategic plans of both the academic business unit and the institution.

The academic business unit develops students, both personally and professionally, into well-educated,
ethical, and competent business professionals.

The academic business unit operates in an environment that encourages and promulgates innovation
and creativity in business education.

The academic business unit has meaningful and effective linkages between the classroom and
practitioners in the business community, thereby contributing to the assurance of currency in and
relevance of its business programs.

The academic business unit encourages both internal and external cooperative relationships with other
educational units and institutions that are consistent with its mission and broad-based goals.

Faculty members in the academic business unit integrate ethical viewpoints and principles in their
teaching activities.

Faculty members in the academic business unit strive to be effective teachers who are current in their
professional fields and are active in contributing to their institutions and disciplines. Furthermore,
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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members of the business faculty are positively engaged within their academic business unit and
contribute to its mission and broad-based goals through appropriate faculty development and faculty
evaluation processes.

The mix of academic and professional credentials of the business faculty is worthy of the respect of
the academic and business communities.

The missions of the institution and the academic business unit are effectively communicated to
current and prospective students.

The institution provides resources to the academic business unit that are adequate to accomplish its
mission and broad-based goals.

The curricula in business programs reflect the missions of the institution and its academic business
unit, and are consistent with current, acceptable business practices and the expectations of
professionals in the academic and business communities.

The curricula in business programs ensure that students understand and are prepared to deal
effectively with critical issues in a changing global business environment.

The content of business courses is delivered in a manner that is appropriate, effective, and stimulates
learning.

The organizational structures of the institution and the academic business unit support excellence in
business education.
Scope of Accreditation
The IACBE accredits business programs that lead to degrees at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and
doctoral levels in institutions of higher education worldwide that grant bachelor’s and/or graduate
degrees. The IACBE does not accredit business programs of institutions of higher education that offer
only associate degrees in business.
For the purposes of inclusion in the IACBE’s scope of accreditation, a program of study is considered to
be a “business program” if and only if it satisfies all of the following three criteria:

The program leads to the awarding of a degree, diploma, or other equivalent credential at the
associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level;

The credit hours (or contact hours as applicable) in the traditional areas of business education2 in the
courses, modules, subjects, etc. comprising the program constitute 20 percent or more of the total
hours required for an undergraduate degree, diploma, or other equivalent credential, 3 or 50 percent or
more of the total hours required for a graduate degree, diploma, or other equivalent credential; 4

The program appears on a student’s official transcript, diploma supplement, or other official record of
program completion.
The following typical disciplinary areas are considered to be the “traditional areas of business education”: business
administration, accounting, finance, human resources, information management, international business,
management, marketing, economics (principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics), business law, business
ethics, business communication, and business-related quantitative methods.
2
For example, if a bachelor’s degree requires 120 credit hours for graduation, and 24 or more credits in the program
are in the traditional areas of business education, then the program is considered to be a business program.
3
For example, if a master’s degree requires 36 credit hours for graduation, and 18 or more of credits in the program
are in the traditional areas of business education, then the program is considered to be a business program.
4
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Furthermore, all majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks contained within a
program will also be encompassed by the IACBE’s scope of accreditation if and only if they satisfy the
following two criteria:

Fifty percent or more of the credit hours (or contact hours as applicable) required for any major,
concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track are in the traditional areas of business
education;5

The majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks appear on a student’s
official transcript, diploma supplement, or other official record of program completion.
Consequently, programs of study and all majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and
tracks contained within the programs that satisfy the criteria listed above will normally be included in
IACBE accreditation reviews and self-studies.
For the purpose of further defining the scope of IACBE accreditation:

The IACBE expects that new business programs will normally be offered through the academic
business unit. However, the IACBE respects the differences that exist within institutions of higher
education, and realizes that institutions may have valid reasons for offering some business programs
outside of the academic business unit. All new business programs normally will be reviewed for
IACBE accreditation regardless of whether they are administered or delivered solely by the academic
business unit or through cooperative or interdisciplinary arrangements with other units of the
institution.

All new business programs offered at multiple degree levels (associate-, bachelor’s-, master’s-, and
doctoral-level programs) normally will be reviewed for IACBE accreditation.

All off-campus locations of an institution that offer new programs in business normally will be
included in the IACBE accreditation review, as long as those programs are under the degree-granting
authority of the institution seeking accreditation. Where multiple campuses exist within the
framework of one institution, the IACBE Board of Commissioners will determine which campuses
may be included in a single new program accreditation review.

All new business programs, regardless of mode of delivery, normally will be reviewed for IACBE
accreditation. This includes online programs, distance learning programs, adult degree completion
programs, accelerated programs, and other “nontraditional” programs, regardless of whether these
programs are administered by the academic business unit.
In its application for new program accreditation, the academic business unit must provide a list of all
locations at which the new programs are offered, and must indicate which, if any, of those locations it
desires to exclude from the new program accreditation review. If a location is to be excluded, the
academic business unit must provide a rationale for the exclusion. The IACBE will consider the following
factors in making the determination of which locations will be excluded from the accreditation review:

Operational control of the program at separate locations: If the academic business unit has little
or no operational control over a new program offered at a separate off-campus location, then
exclusion of that location may be justified. Operational control includes areas such as program and
curriculum design; hiring and professional development of faculty; student selection and oversight;
outcomes assessment; and awarding of degrees.
5
For example, suppose that an academic business unit offers a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with
concentrations in accounting, computer information systems, and marketing, and that the business program within
the BBA consists of a set of courses common to all concentrations and 18 additional credits in each of the
concentrations. Furthermore, suppose that all 18 credits in the accounting and marketing concentrations (100% of
the required credits) and 6 credits in the computer information systems concentration (33.3% of the required credits)
are in the traditional areas of business education. Then, the accounting and marketing concentrations would be
included in the accreditation review and the computer information systems concentration would not be included.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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
Ability to distinguish and differentiate between programs at separate locations: Stakeholders of
the institution, including faculty, current and potential students and their families, and employers are
entitled to know which programs are accredited by the IACBE and which are not. If a program
(including any major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track contained within the
program) offered at a separate off-campus location is represented in printed or electronic materials
alongside accredited programs on the main campus, it is assumed that that location will be included in
the new program accreditation review. To be excluded, new programs at off-campus locations must
be clearly distinguishable from accredited programs on the main campus by degree name and title,
program descriptions, and other representations to stakeholders.
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New Program Review Process
An academic business unit must notify the IACBE of any new business programs that it begins to offer
after accreditation has been granted. For IACBE purposes, a new business program is defined to be any
business program that is added to an institution’s offerings subsequent to the granting of accreditation,
that is substantially different than the programs that are already accredited by the IACBE, and that does
not appear in the listing of accredited programs that are identified in the attachment to the institution’s
accreditation letter. These new programs may be newly-created or existing programs transferred to the
academic business unit to administer.
New programs must have at least one set of graduates before the Board of Commissioners will consider
them for accreditation. A self-study must be submitted for the new programs, and must address the
following IACBE New Program Accreditation Principles as they apply to the new programs:
New Program Accreditation Principle
Description
1.1
Outcomes Assessment
2.1
Program Design
2.2
Common Professional Component
2.3
General Knowledge and Skills6
2.4
Master’s Degree Curriculum
2.5
Doctoral Curriculum
3.1
Faculty Qualifications
3.2
Faculty Load
3.3
Faculty Deployment
4.1
Financial Resources
4.2
Facilities
4.3
Learning Resources
4.4
Educational Technology and Support
4.5
Off-Campus Locations
5.1
Admissions Processes7
In addition, an outcomes assessment plan that addresses student learning assessment must be developed
for each new program, and a set of assessment results for at least one set of graduates must have been
collected for the program before it can be considered for accreditation by the Board of Commissioners.
Until such time as the Board of Commissioners has reviewed and granted accreditation to any new
programs, the academic business unit and its parent institution must not list the new programs among
those that are accredited by the IACBE.
6
This principle needs to be addressed only if there have been changes in this area since the last full IACBE
accreditation review.
7
This principle needs to be addressed only if the admissions policies and procedures for the new program(s) are
different than those for previously IACBE-accredited programs.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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SECTION TWO:
PREPARING THE NEW PROGRAM SELF-STUDY
New program accreditation is a formal process in which a written document—a self-study—is produced
for review and evaluation by the IACBE Board of Commissioners. The completion of a self-study for an
institution’s new business programs is a requirement for achieving IACBE accreditation for those
programs.
The IACBE recognizes, acknowledges, and respects the fact that academic business units around the
world operate in differing educational, historical, cultural, and legal/regulatory environments.
Consequently, each academic business unit will have its own unique mission, goals and objectives, and
organizational culture, all of which are reflected in the self-study.
The self-study is used to document the academic business unit’s compliance with the IACBE’s New
Program Accreditation Principles. The key to preparing a good self-study is to provide accurate,
complete, and well thought-out responses to all of the accreditation principles. Inaccurate, incomplete, or
improperly-formatted information may delay the new program accreditation process. Make sure that your
responses are clear and address the relevant topics. At the same time, be succinct in the narrative
statements that you provide. The quality of the content in the self-study is more important than the length
of the document. Mentoring services are available to assist the academic business unit in preparing the
self-study. For more information about IACBE mentoring services, see Section Nine: Mentoring Program
in the IACBE’s Accreditation Process Manual.
The self-study time period must cover one full academic year; this should be the full academic year
immediately preceding the date of the accreditation review.
A preliminary draft copy of the self-study must be submitted to IACBE headquarters no fewer than 90
days prior to the scheduled review by the IACBE Board of Commissioners. Upon receipt of the draft selfstudy, IACBE staff will contact the academic business unit to schedule a telephone consultation for the
purpose of conducting an initial technical review of the self-study for completeness and accuracy. This
technical review will not include any judgments regarding the quality of the responses contained in the
self-study, nor will it evaluate the extent of the academic business unit’s compliance with the IACBE’s
Accreditation Principles, policies, and requirements. These determinations are the prerogative of and will
be made by the Board of Commissioners. The purposes of the technical review are (i) to identify any
technical issues associated with the academic business unit’s self-study (i.e., missing, incomplete, and/or
inaccurate information) and (ii) to help to ensure a smooth review by the Board of Commissioners. Any
missing or incomplete responses and inaccurate information will be communicated to the academic
business unit during the technical review consultation. Subsequent to the review, the academic business
unit will then revise its self-study accordingly to ensure that it is complete, addresses all Accreditation
Principles, and is in the appropriate format with accurate tables. The revised, final self-study must be
submitted to IACBE headquarters no fewer than 30 days prior to the review by the Board of
Commissioners. No accreditation review will be conducted until the IACBE has received the final selfstudy documents.
The remainder of this section addresses the format of the self-study. It also provides a description of the
information that you are to include. The self-study should consist of two volumes: Volume 1 for your
narrative responses to the accreditation principles and for the required tables, and Volume 2 for the
appendices to accommodate bulky items such as abbreviated course syllabi, outcomes assessment plan,
faculty vitae, etc. It is recommended that you use tabs to separate the materials in Volume 2 of the selfstudy. The self-study and all supporting materials must be written in English.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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The academic business unit’s self-study submission must consist of two hard copies of Volume 1, two
hard copies of the outcomes assessment plan, and one electronic copy of Volumes 1 and 2 of the revised,
final self-study documents.
The self-study should be organized in the following manner:
Volume 1
1.
2.
3.
4.
Cover Page
Table of Contents
Background Information
Documentation of Compliance with Accreditation Principles
Volume 2
1. Appendices
Each of these components of the self-study is described below.
Cover Page
The cover page should be the first page of the self-study. A copy of a blank cover page is provided in
Appendix A of this manual.
Table of Contents
A Table of Contents should be included for each volume in the self-study. This table should delineate the
major sections of the self-study document, including sections for each of the IACBE’s New Program
Accreditation Principles.
Background Information
The information in this section conveys a general profile of the institution and the academic business unit,
and provides essential background information.
In the self-study, provide the following information in the listed sequence. In your response to each item,
provide the location of any supporting materials placed in the appendix (Volume 2).
1. Identify the name and title of each individual who participated in preparing the self-study.
2. In one or two paragraphs, provide a brief history of the institution. If the history is stated in the
institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide the page numbers
for the relevant section.
3. In one or two paragraphs, provide a brief history of the academic business unit. If the history is
stated in the institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide the
page numbers for the relevant section.
4. List each new business program for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation
(including all majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks contained within
the program), and identify all of the locations at which the programs are offered.8
8
The IACBE new program accreditation review normally encompasses all locations at which the programs are
offered (i.e., branch campuses, extension centers, or other types of auxiliary operations).
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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Note: In this listing, please do not use any colloquialisms to identify the business programs; use
instead the official institutional degree designations or program names, i.e., the degree or program
names that appear on students’ official transcripts, diploma supplements, or other official records of
program completion. For example, use “Master of Business Administration” or “Master of Science
in Management” instead of “master’s degree in business” or “master’s degree in management.”
Similarly, use “Bachelor of Business Administration” or “Bachelor of Science in Business
Administration” instead of “bachelor’s degree in business.” The same applies to all majors,
concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks contained within the programs.
5. Provide the following enrollment information:
a. Total enrollment of the institution by headcount for the self-study year.
b. For each of the programs listed in item 4 above (including each major, concentration,
specialization, emphasis, option, or track contained within the program), the total enrollment by
headcount in the program for the self-study year, and the total enrollment by headcount in all
programs combined for the self-study year. This information should be presented as shown in the
sample table on the following page.
6. For each of the programs listed in item 4 above (including each major, concentration, specialization,
emphasis, option, or track contained within the program), provide the number of such degrees
conferred during the self-study year and the previous two academic years. This information should be
presented as shown in the sample table below.
7. Describe any situations present at your institution requiring a special understanding during the new
program accreditation review process.
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Enrollment and Degrees Conferred in New Programs
NUMBER OF DEGREES CONFERRED
PROGRAM
HEADCOUNT
ENROLLMENT
(SELF-STUDY
YEAR)
SELF-STUDY
YEAR
YEAR
PRIOR TO
SELF-STUDY
YEAR
TWO YEARS
PRIOR TO
SELF-STUDY
YEAR
25
7
8
6
ASSOCIATE-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Associate of Science in Business
Administration
BACHELOR’S-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Majors in:
Global Business
18
5
4
3
Supply Chain Management
10
2
1
2
19
5
6
4
6
2
1
0
76
19
20
14
MASTER’S-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Master of Business Administration with a Specialization in:
Health Care Administration
DOCTORAL-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Ph.D. in Business Administration
TOTALS1
Since the figures in the table are expressed in terms of headcount and since some students in the bachelor’s-level
BSBA program pursue double majors, the sums of the columns may be greater than the totals. For example, if
someone double majored in both global business and supply chain management, then that person is counted in the
figures for both of those majors, but only once in the totals.
1
Documentation of Compliance with Accreditation Principles
To prepare this section of the self-study, use the structure and guidelines found in Section Three:
Accreditation Principles of this manual. List each principle in the order shown in Section Three, and then
respond to each principle using the self-study guidelines for that principle. This New Program
Accreditation Manual is available in electronic form, and can be used as a template to develop your selfstudy. For review and evaluation purposes, all tables must be labeled, formatted, and presented as shown
in Section Three of this manual. Please contact the IACBE headquarters if you have questions regarding
these instructions.
Appendices
Volume 2 of the self-study consists of appendices. Materials that are sufficiently long to hinder the
readability of your narrative responses in Volume 1 should be placed in an appendix. Many of these
materials are identified in Section Three: Accreditation Principles of this manual. Tabs should be used to
separate the major sections of Volume 2. If materials are placed in an appendix, please cite in your
narratives in Volume 1 the tab location in which the materials are to be found.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
10
SECTION THREE:
NEW PROGRAM ACCREDITATION PRINCIPLES
In order to evaluate the overall academic quality of an academic business unit’s business programs, the
IACBE implements a quality assurance process that involves a comprehensive set of accreditation
principles pertaining to academic resource measures, educational processes, and outcomes assessment. In
order for its new business programs to be accredited by the IACBE, the academic business unit must
demonstrate compliance with these principles as detailed in this manual.
The IACBE recognizes and acknowledges the fact that academic business units around the world operate
in differing educational, historical, cultural, legal/regulatory, and organizational environments, and that,
as a result, excellence in business education and high levels of academic quality may be achieved in
different ways. Moreover, the IACBE encourages and supports alternative and innovative approaches to
achieving excellence in business education. Consequently, academic business units in different countries
may align themselves with the IACBE’s Accreditation Principles in a variety of ways. Wherever such
differences exist, the academic business unit must nevertheless demonstrate that its new programs are in
compliance with the principles. However, it is the policy of the IACBE and the Board of Commissioners
to treat all academic business units fairly and consistently in the application of the IACBE’s Accreditation
Principles and policies regardless of the educational, historical, cultural, legal/regulatory, and
organizational environments in which they operate.
The IACBE is a mission-driven and outcomes-based accrediting body, and it therefore appreciates and
respects the fact that academic business units are guided by different missions. Therefore, the IACBE
focuses its new program accreditation reviews on the overall academic quality of the academic business
unit’s new programs relative to its mission and goals, as measured by the outcomes assessment process.
In order for its new business programs to be accredited by the IACBE, the academic business unit must
demonstrate an acceptable level of academic quality consistent with its mission and the IACBE’s
Accreditation Principles.
Given the IACBE’s philosophy of accreditation, compliance with each of the accreditation principles that
pertain to academic resources and educational processes is interpreted and applied in terms of whether the
particular resource or process is of sufficiently high quality to ensure achievement of the academic
business unit’s intended learning outcomes, with the extent of such achievement being measured through
the outcomes assessment process. In other words, compliance with each of the IACBE’s resource and
process principles is evaluated in terms of the degree to which the resource or process produces
measurable results or outcomes pertaining to actual student learning.
In its new program accreditation reviews, the IACBE uses each of its accreditation principles to evaluate
the extent of the academic business unit’s achievement of excellence in business education. The
principles, in their entirety, foster high levels of academic quality and promote continuous improvement
in the overall academic quality of the academic business unit’s new programs.
An introduction is provided for each accreditation principle listed in this section, including the
characteristics of excellence in business education enumerated in Section One that relate to that principle.
Each principle, which appears as a boxed item, is followed by a description of the principle and
guidelines for documenting compliance with that principle in the self-study.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
11
Principle 1: Outcomes Assessment
Outcomes assessment is a systematic process that is used to measure the effectiveness of an institution
and the academic quality of its degree programs. The process involves the collection and evaluation of
information pertaining to the extent to which institutional goals, objectives, and intended outcomes are
being achieved in order to inform planning, budgeting, and decision making. In addition, the outcomes
assessment process provides a basis for continuous improvement in curriculum, pedagogy, institutional
resources, academic support services, staffing, and other aspects of institutional operations that impact
student learning.
The IACBE is a mission-driven and outcomes-based accrediting body, and it therefore focuses its new
program accreditation reviews on the overall academic quality of the academic business unit’s new
programs relative to its mission. The outcomes assessment process that is used to evaluate the academic
quality of the new business programs must encompass the following areas:

Student Learning Assessment: Since the principal activity of any academic institution is the
education of its students, the academic business unit’s outcomes assessment process must provide for
the assessment of the extent to which intended student learning outcomes are being achieved in the
new business programs.

Linkage with Strategic Planning: The quality of the academic business unit’s new business
programs depends on its efforts in continuous improvement in order to meet future challenges. Since
this requires any necessary changes and improvements that are identified as result of the outcomes
assessment process to be incorporated into its planning process for the future, the academic business
unit’s outcomes assessment process must provide for the linkage of its outcomes assessment and
strategic planning processes.
In order for its new business programs to be accredited by the IACBE, the academic business unit must
provide evidence of (i) student learning in those programs and (ii) continuous improvement in those
programs.
The following characteristics of excellence in business education relate to outcomes assessment:

The academic business unit has a clearly defined mission and broad-based goals that are consistent
with those of the institution.

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The academic business unit engages in a strategic planning process that is driven by the approved
mission and broad-based goals of the academic business unit, is consistent with the strategic planning
process of the institution, and is in touch with the realities of business education and the marketplace.

The academic business unit has developed and implemented an outcomes assessment process that
promotes continuous improvement in its business programs and its operations, and is linked to the
strategic plans of both the academic business unit and the institution.

The academic business unit develops students, both personally and professionally, into well-educated,
ethical, and competent business professionals.
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1.1 Outcomes Assessment
Academic quality in business programs is evaluated through the assessment of the academic
business unit’s intended student learning outcomes. This requires the academic business unit to
have developed and fully implemented an outcomes assessment process. This process includes an
outcomes assessment plan for its new business programs, the identification of necessary changes
and improvements as a result of implementing the plan, the integration of those changes into its
strategic planning process, and the documentation of realized outcomes.
Description
In order to demonstrate high levels of overall academic quality in its new business programs, the
academic business unit must establish and fully implement a process of outcomes assessment, and link
the results into its strategic planning process. In addition, the academic business unit must provide
evidence that it is using the results of outcomes assessment for the purpose of continuous improvement in
its programs. Compliance with each of the remaining accreditation principles, which deal with academic
resources and educational processes, is evaluated in terms of the degree to which the resource or process
produces measurable results or outcomes, which is determined through the outcomes assessment process.
The diversity of academic business units and the educational, historical, cultural, legal/regulatory, and
organizational environments in which they operate, coupled with other characteristics unique to an
academic business unit, suggests that the outcomes assessment process may be developed and
implemented in a variety of different ways. The IACBE does not prescribe any particular approach to
outcomes assessment, but whatever approach is employed, the following areas must be addressed in the
academic business unit’s outcomes assessment plan for its new programs:
1. Student Learning Assessment: The outcomes assessment plan must state intended student learning
outcomes for each new business program to be included in the accreditation review. These intended
learning outcomes should be appropriate to the program’s area of study and should take the following
forms:

Business-Related Content Outcomes (e.g., outcomes relating to discipline-specific knowledge,
concepts/principles, theories, etc., in the program’s area of study)

Business-Related Professional Skills Outcomes (e.g., outcomes relating to leadership abilities,
professional communication skills, ethical reasoning abilities, teamwork skills, quantitative and
analytical abilities, information technology skills, etc.)
In developing its outcomes assessment plan, the academic business unit must ensure that the intended
student learning outcomes in each new business program substantially encompass and are linked to
the relevant ‘Key Learning Outcomes for Business Programs’ as identified by the IACBE.9 These
learning outcomes are defined for each degree level (i.e., for associate-, bachelor’s-, master’s-, and
doctoral-level programs) and are associated with those content- and skills-related areas that comprise
typical programs in business. While the academic business unit is not required to use these particular
outcomes or the specific wording in these outcomes, and may include additional content- and skillsrelated intended learning outcomes in its assessment plan, it must ensure, at a minimum, that the
content- and skills-related areas that are addressed in the Key Learning Outcomes are substantially
incorporated in its own intended learning outcomes. In some cases, certain specialized business
programs, as a result of having a different focus than that of mainstream business programs, may not
These outcomes are identified in a document entitled “Key Learning Outcomes for Business Programs,” which can
be downloaded from the IACBE website at: www.iacbe.org/oa-documents.asp.
9
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
13
substantially encompass the relevant Key Learning Outcomes. To the extent that such specialized
programs are mission-driven, academically rigorous, and market-responsive, some variation from this
requirement may be justifiable. Consequently, for any business program included in the accreditation
review for which the outcomes assessment plan does not substantially encompass the relevant Key
Learning Outcomes for Business Programs, it is incumbent upon the academic business unit to
provide a rationale and to justify its case for an exception to this requirement.
The intended student learning outcomes for all new business programs must be program-level
outcomes and must be appropriate to the degree level with which they are associated. In other words,
the intended student learning outcomes for associate-, bachelor’s-, master’s-, and doctoral-level
programs must clearly describe what students are expected to know and be able to do at the
conclusion of each degree program and must reflect higher orders of learning and skills development
at each successively-higher degree level. For example, the intended student learning outcomes for a
master’s-level program must reflect appropriate master’s-level discipline-specific knowledge, skills,
and competencies, and these must be more challenging to acquire than the discipline-specific
knowledge, skills, and competencies for a bachelor’s-level program. Therefore, the intended student
learning outcomes for all new business programs must be formulated so as to represent higher levels
of expected student performance as a student progresses from one degree level to the next.10
In addition, the intended student learning outcomes must be measurable, must be stated using active
verbs (e.g., according to Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives), and must be expressed as
complete declarative sentences that clearly describe the knowledge, skills, and competencies that
students are expected to acquire as a result of completing their programs of study.
For each new program to be included in the accreditation review, the outcomes assessment plan must
also identify both direct and indirect measures of student learning (and their associated evaluation
rubrics) that will be employed to assess the program’s intended student learning outcomes.
Furthermore, each intended student learning outcome in each new program must be assessed by at
least one direct measure and at least one indirect measure of student learning.
Although there must be both direct and indirect measures of student learning for each new program to
be included in the accreditation review, it is not required that different programs have different
learning measures. In other words, it is possible for a single measurement instrument to be used in
multiple programs.11
In addition, for each direct and indirect measurement tool (and each associated evaluation rubric) that
will be employed in student learning assessment, the outcomes assessment plan must specify the
performance objectives (measurable performance targets/criteria) that will be used by the academic
business unit to determine the extent to which the intended student learning outcomes are being
achieved.12
10
For guidance on developing intended student learning outcomes that are degree-level appropriate, see the Lumina
Foundation’s publication entitled “The Degree Qualifications Profile.”
11
For example, a capstone project in a Strategic Management course could be used as a direct measure of student
learning in both a Bachelor of Business Administration program and a Bachelor of Science in Management program.
12
Student learning performance objectives are the measurable performance targets associated with the assessment
instruments and rubrics used by the academic business unit in determining whether the intended student learning
outcomes have been achieved. For example, if the academic business unit is using the ETS Major Field Test (MFT)
as one of its direct measures of student learning, then a performance objective might be that at least 90% of
graduating students will score at the 75th percentile or higher on each learning-outcome-related MFT Assessment
Indicator; or if the academic business unit is using a comprehensive project in a capstone strategic management
course as a direct measure of student learning, then a performance objective might be that, on the rating scale in the
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
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2. Linkage with Strategic Planning: The outcomes assessment plan must describe the ways in which
the results from implementing the outcomes assessment plan (i.e., changes and improvements needed)
are linked to the academic business unit and institutional strategic planning processes.13 If possible,
the outcomes assessment process should also be connected to the institutional budgeting process.
A major purpose of outcomes assessment is to provide a basis for continuous improvement in curriculum,
pedagogy, institutional resources, academic support services, staffing, and other aspects of institutional
operations that impact student learning. It is therefore important that any needed changes and
improvements identified through the assessment process be based on the best possible data, and that
assessment results accurately and reliably characterize the institution’s business programs. Consequently,
the academic business unit should undertake reasonable efforts to ensure that the measurement
instruments employed for student learning assessment possess adequate degrees of validity and reliability.
Accordingly, the direct and indirect measures of student learning should actually measure the intended
outcomes that they are intended to measure and they should yield similar, consistent results from the
measurement of the intended outcomes under varying conditions.
Copies of all measurement tools (and their associated evaluation rubrics) that are employed to assess the
academic business unit’s intended student learning outcomes must be included in the appendix of the
outcomes assessment plan.
Self-Study Guidelines
The outcomes assessment plan must encompass all new business programs for which the academic
business unit is seeking accreditation, and must conform to IACBE guidelines as outlined in the IACBE
document entitled “Key Content Areas of an Outcomes Assessment Plan for Business Programs.”
The Board of Commissioners will (1) evaluate the academic business unit’s outcome assessment process,
(2) review the results from implementing the outcomes assessment plan, and (3) examine the ways in
which the results are being used for continuous improvement in the academic business unit’s overall
academic quality of its new business programs.
In the self-study:
1. Provide a copy of the academic business unit’s outcomes assessment plan that encompasses each new
business program included in the accreditation review (this should be placed in the appendix of the
self-study).
2. For each new business program included in the accreditation review for which the intended student
learning outcomes do not substantially encompass the relevant Key Learning Outcomes for Business
Programs as identified by the IACBE, provide a rationale and a justification for this variation.
3. For each new business program for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation,
provide student learning assessment data resulting from the implementation of your outcomes
assessment plan (i.e., the data resulting from implementing the measurement tools identified in the
academic business unit’s outcomes assessment plan). This information must include data relating to
the extent of student achievement of the intended student learning outcomes as determined by the
performance objectives identified by the academic business unit in its outcomes assessment plan.
project evaluation rubric (with “exemplary” being the highest rating), at least 80% of the students will achieve a
performance rating of “acceptable” or higher on each learning-outcome-related project evaluation criterion.
13
For one approach that integrates strategic planning and outcomes assessment into a single, combined process, see
Appendix F: Integrating Strategic Planning and Outcomes Assessment in this manual.
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15
4. Provide a summary of the changes and improvements that were needed based on the results from
implementing the outcomes assessment plan.
5. Provide evidence that action plans were developed to make the identified changes and improvements,
and provide a summary of the plans.
6. Describe the ways in which the action plans were integrated into the strategic planning processes of
the academic business unit and the institution. If applicable, describe the ways in which the academic
business unit’s action plans were connected to the institutional budgeting process.
7. Provide a summary of the realized outcomes that resulted from the execution of the action plans.
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Principle 2: Curriculum
Excellence in business education requires curricula that are both relevant and current. The following
characteristics of excellence in business education relate to curriculum:

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The curricula in business programs reflect the missions of the institution and its academic business
unit, and are consistent with current, acceptable business practices and the expectations of
professionals in the academic and business communities.

The curricula in business programs ensure that students understand and are prepared to deal
effectively with critical issues in a changing global business environment.

The content of business courses is delivered in a manner that is appropriate, effective, and stimulates
learning.
2.1 Program Design
Academic quality in business programs requires the design of each new business program offered
by the academic business unit to be consistent with current, acceptable business practices and the
expectations of professionals in the academic and business communities.
Description
The IACBE takes a flexible approach to the evaluation of program design that recognizes the rapidlychanging world of business education, in which business programs are designed for delivery through
multiple formats, including face-to-face, online, and hybrid methods. The evaluation of the extent to
which such programs are consistent with excellence in business education requires the academic business
unit to provide thorough and accurate program information about its new programs in the self-study.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Describe the curricular requirements for each new business program for which the academic
business unit is seeking accreditation (including majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases,
options, and tracks contained within the program). If this information is included in the institution’s
catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide the page numbers for the
relevant sections.
2. a. Identify and describe all of the methods that the academic business unit employs to deliver each
new business program for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation.
b. If online or hybrid delivery modes are used, describe the kinds and amount of both student and
faculty activity and effort required.
3. For each new business program included in the accreditation review that contains majors,
concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, or tracks, describe the ways in which the
academic business unit ensures academic quality in these disciplinary component areas of the
program.
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17
The methods for ensuring academic quality may include, but are not limited to, inclusion of the
majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks in the academic business
unit’s outcomes assessment plan; periodic program reviews that include these disciplinary
component areas; reviews, analyses, and evaluations of the results of embedded assessments in the
courses, modules, subjects, etc. comprising the disciplinary component areas; etc.
In addition to input- and process-based measures of academic quality (e.g., curricular content;
student admissions and retention standards; faculty qualifications; student academic support
services; facilities, equipment, and learning and technological resources; program delivery;
teaching; student advising; etc.), the methods for ensuring academic quality in the majors,
concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks must also utilize outcomes-based
measures of quality (e.g., graduates’ satisfaction with the disciplinary component areas; employment
of graduates; job advancement of graduates; employer satisfaction with job performance of
graduates; graduates’ success in advanced programs; student success in passing certification
examinations; advisory board approval of the disciplinary component areas; etc.).
4. a. State the number of contact hours required to earn one unit of academic credit for each new
business program for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation.
b. If the academic business unit uses online or hybrid delivery modes, describe the way in which the
unit defines a student contact hour, and explain the ways in which the unit ensures that the
quality of such programs is equivalent to that in more traditionally-delivered, face-to-face
programs.
5. If you are seeking accreditation for new associate-level programs in business, state the number of
semester hours, or quarter hours, of academic work that are required to earn a degree in each
program.
6. If you are seeking accreditation for new bachelor’s-level programs in business, state the number of
semester hours, or quarter hours, of academic work that are required to earn a degree in each
program.
7. If you are seeking accreditation for new master’s-level programs in business, state the number of
semester hours, or quarter hours, of academic work that are required to earn a degree in each
program.
8. If you are seeking accreditation for new doctoral-level programs in business, state the number of
semester hours, or quarter hours, of academic work that are required to earn a degree in each
program, including the dissertation.
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18
2.2 Common Professional Component
Academic quality in undergraduate business programs requires coverage of the key content
areas of business. Thus, the Common Professional Component (CPC) topical areas, as outlined
below, should be adequately covered within the content of new undergraduate business
programs.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
Accounting (ACT)
Marketing (MKT)
Finance (FIN)
Management
1. Management Principles (MGT)
2. Organizational Behavior (OB)
3. Human Resource Management (HRM)
4. Operations Management (OM)
Economic/Social/Legal Environment
1. Legal Environment of Business (LAW)
2. Economics (ECN)
3. Business Ethics (ETH)
Decision-Support Tools
1. Information Systems (IS)
2. Quantitative Methods/Statistics (QM)
Global Dimensions of Business (GLOB)
Integrative Experience (INT), such as:
1. Strategic Management/Business Policy
2. Required Internship
3. Capstone Experience (an experience that enables a student to demonstrate the capacity to
synthesize and apply knowledge in an organizational context, such as a thesis, project,
comprehensive examination or course, etc.)
Description
The IACBE expects the curricula of accredited undergraduate business programs to provide a broadlybased, functional education in business. The purpose of this principle is to ensure that the CPC topical
areas are adequately covered in new undergraduate business programs. However, the IACBE does not
expect that all of the CPC topical areas will have equal contact hour coverage.
Certain specialized business programs at the undergraduate level may not cover all of the CPC topical
areas as a result of having a different focus than that of mainstream business programs. To the extent that
such specialized programs are mission-driven, academically rigorous, and market-responsive, some
variance from CPC topical area coverage may be justifiable. It is the responsibility of the academic
business unit to provide appropriate rationale for any significant CPC coverage variations.
Compliance with the CPC principle is evaluated by examining the course content contained in the
required courses of the academic business unit’s new business programs. There is no requirement that
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
19
each CPC topical area must be covered by a specific course. It is expected that the business faculty will
ensure that the curricula in new business programs devote adequate attention and time to ethical, legal,
societal, and economic components, both domestically and globally. It is also expected that the use of
information technology will be appropriately integrated with some of the CPC topical areas.
For each required course in the new business programs, an Abbreviated Course Syllabus must be prepared
that includes a course outline specifying the CPC topical area coverage in that course. Since a single
course may simultaneously cover multiple topics (such as global dimensions of business covered in a
principles of management course), the total hours of CPC topical area coverage in a given course may in
fact exceed the actual number of scheduled student contact hours.
Self-Study Guidelines
Associate-Level Programs: Compliance with the Common Professional Component (CPC) principle is
evaluated by examining the required business and related courses in your new associate-level programs.
Associate-level programs are not expected to provide CPC coverage in each topical area. However, CPC
coverage is expected in the following topical areas: A. Accounting, B. Marketing, D1. Management
Principles, F1. Information Systems, and E2. Economics. You need to identify which of these CPC topical
areas are covered in your required course offerings. This requires that you first complete an Abbreviated
Course Syllabus for each required course as shown in Appendix B of this manual.
In the self-study:
1. Provide an Abbreviated Course Syllabus for each required course in your new associate-level
business programs (these should be placed in the appendix of the self-study).14
Note: If your new associate-level business programs contain required business and business-related
courses that are common to multiple majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, or
tracks contained within the programs (i.e., a common “business core”), then you need only to
provide Abbreviated Course Syllabi for these common required courses. However, if you choose to
complete a separate CPC table for each major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or
track (see items 2 and 3 below), then you will need to provide Abbreviated Course Syllabi for all of
the required courses in these supplementary tables as well.
2. Provide a separate Table 1: Summary of Common Professional Component (CPC) Activity for each
new associate-level program included in the accreditation review that contains different required
courses.
The information in this table should be presented as shown in sample Table 1 in these guidelines.
This information comes directly from the Recap section in the Abbreviated Course Syllabi.
Note: If your new associate-level business programs contain required business and business-related
courses that are common to multiple majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, or
tracks contained within the programs (i.e., a common “business core”), then you need only to
provide Table 1 for those common required courses. However, you may choose to prepare a separate
Table 1 for each major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track (see item 3 below).
3. If your new associate-level programs contain majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases,
options, or tracks that require additional courses beyond those that are common to all programs, you
14
If you have a required course in your associate-level business programs that is taught by an academic department
outside of your academic business unit, prepare an Abbreviated Course Syllabus for the course, and include it and
the contact hours with this section of the self-study (e.g., calculus taught by Math Department).
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
20
may choose to obtain CPC credit for these courses by preparing a separate CPC table for each
major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track.
4. For any new associate-level business programs included in the accreditation review that do not cover
all of the expected CPC topical areas as identified above (i.e., A. Accounting, B. Marketing, D1.
Management Principles, F1. Information Systems, and E2. Economics), provide a rationale for this
variation in CPC coverage.
Bachelor’s-Level Programs: Compliance with the Common Professional Component (CPC) principle is
evaluated by examining the required business and related courses in your new bachelor’s-level
programs. Sufficient coverage is expected in all of the CPC topical areas. You need to identify which
CPC topical areas are covered in your required course offerings. This requires that you first complete an
Abbreviated Course Syllabus for each required course as shown in Appendix B of this manual.
In the self-study:
1. Provide an Abbreviated Course Syllabus for each required course in your new bachelor’s-level
business programs (these should be placed in the appendix of the self-study).15
Note: If your new bachelor’s-level business programs contain required business and business-related
courses that are common to multiple majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, or
tracks contained within the programs (i.e., a common “business core”), then you need only to
provide Abbreviated Course Syllabi for these common required courses. However, if you choose to
complete a separate CPC table for each major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or
track (see items 2 and 3 below), then you will need to provide Abbreviated Course Syllabi for all of
the required courses in these supplementary tables as well.
2. Provide a separate Table 1: Summary of Common Professional Component (CPC) Activity for each
bachelor’s-level program included in the accreditation review that contains different required
courses.
The information in this table should be presented as shown in sample Table 1 in these guidelines.
This information comes directly from the Recap section in the Abbreviated Course Syllabi.
Note: If your new bachelor’s-level business programs contain required business and business-related
courses that are common to multiple majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, or
tracks contained within the programs (i.e., a common “business core”), then you need only to
provide Table 1 for those common required courses. However, you may choose to prepare a separate
Table 1 for each major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track (see item 3 below).
3. If your new bachelor’s-level programs contain majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases,
options, or tracks that require additional courses beyond the business core, you may choose to obtain
CPC credit for these courses by preparing a separate CPC table for each major, concentration,
specialization, emphasis, option, or track.
4. For any new bachelor’s-level business programs included in the accreditation review that do not
cover all of the CPC topical areas, provide a rationale for this variation in CPC coverage.
Master’s- and Doctoral-Level Programs: This principle does not apply to master’s- and doctoral-level
programs. Do not submit a CPC table for these types of programs.
If you have a required course in your bachelor’s-level business programs that is taught by an academic department
outside of your academic business unit, prepare an Abbreviated Course Syllabus for the course, and include it and
the contact hours with this section of the self-study (e.g., calculus taught by Math Department).
15
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21
Table 1: Summary of Common Professional Component (CPC) Activity
BSBA (Required Courses Common to Both Majors)
(Contact Hours)
CPC AREA
COMMON
REQUIRED COURSES
ACT
MKT
FIN
MGT
OB
HRM
OM
LAW
ECN
ETH
IS
QM
GLOB
INT
A
B
C
D1
D2
D3
D4
E1
E2
E3
F1
F2
G
H
TOTALS
6
Math 120
Acct 214
45
Acct 224
45
Bus 215
3
45
2
8
2
2
3
Econ 243
2
Mgmt 301
1
Mgmt 311
3
2
3
70
50
5
45
50
3
45
3
3
5
10
72
1
4
1
68
1
2
2
71
1
3
2
2
45
1
1
26
23
4
1
2
1
4
3
2
4
1
3
1
1
2
45
2
1
4
6
5
45
45
6
4
45
Mktg 372
2
3
Bus 323
Mgmt 345
45
1
3
Bus 322
49
15
Bus 220
Econ 233
51
3
2
67
3
71
6
51
45
1
2
1
2
1
10
1
10
7
3
2
2
65
1
58
Fin 373
12
2
45
Mgmt 4851
5
2
2
2
3
4
1
3
1
2
4
1
2
45
77
TOTALS
125
65
59
48
33
57
69
69
97
33
104
107
22
62
950
80
1
This is a Strategic Management/Business Policy course, which integrates knowledge from all the functional areas of business. Therefore, this course includes all or
most of the CPC topics.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Note: The normal range for the contact hour totals for an individual course is 50-65 in a semester program, although for some integrative courses, the total may be
higher. The normal range for the contact hour totals for an individual CPC area is from approximately 30 to over 100 in a semester program. In both cases, the
assumption involves 45 class contact hours during a semester. This matrix is an excellent way to review the academic content of a degree program.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
22
2.3 General Knowledge and Skills
Academic quality in undergraduate business programs requires a broad educational background
on which to base collegiate business studies. This requires students in the new business programs
to have the general knowledge and skills that will prepare them to understand and appreciate the
broader historical, cultural, social, political, and economic contexts in which business takes place
and to function effectively in an ever-changing global environment.
Note: This principle needs to be addressed only if there have been changes in this area since the last full
IACBE accreditation review.
Description
A broad-based education normally includes (i) general knowledge in the traditional areas of the liberal
arts such as the humanities, arts, and social and physical sciences, and (ii) general skills areas such as
written and oral communication skills, analytical skills, appropriate language skills, quantitative skills,
computer and information technology skills, and information literacy skills.
The IACBE recognizes, acknowledges, and respects the fact that academic business units around the
world operate in differing educational, historical, cultural, legal/regulatory, and organizational
environments, and that, as a result, students may acquire the general knowledge and skills comprising a
broad-based education in different ways. For example, some academic institutions have formal general
education requirements that must be met in order for students to graduate with an associate or bachelor’s
degree. These requirements provide students with the necessary general knowledge and skills education.
In other cases, as in some European countries, students acquire general knowledge and skills through
thirteen years of education prior to entering college or university. In whatever way it is obtained, business
students must be equipped with a broad educational background that will prepare them to be successful in
their business studies and to be responsible, knowledgeable, and capable global citizens.
Self-Study Guidelines
Associate- and Bachelor’s-Level Programs:
Institutions with Formal General Education Requirements
Each institution establishes the general education requirements for an associate or bachelor’s degree.
For IACBE purposes, general education consists primarily of non-business courses in traditional liberal
arts areas such as the humanities, arts, and social and physical sciences, which are required of all
associate or bachelor’s degree-seeking students. General education should comprise a significant
proportion (normally at least 40 percent) of the total credits required for an associate or bachelor’s
degree.
Certain required courses in a business program may also be appropriately included in the category of
general education. For example, courses in principles of economics and introductory information
technology may satisfy the institution’s general education requirements. Similarly, certain courses in
general education, such as communication, statistics, and calculus, may also be requirements in business
programs. Therefore, it is possible to have some courses count as meeting both the institution’s general
education requirements and the business core requirements for business programs.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
23
In the self-study:
1. Provide the page numbers for the section in the institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing
brochures, or other material that describes its general education requirements.
2. Provide Table 2: Undergraduate General Education Requirements. The information in this table
should be presented as shown in sample Table 2 in these guidelines. The table should include both the
number of credit hours in the institution’s general education requirements and the percentage of the
total number of credits required for graduation that is composed of general education credits. Table
2 should provide the required information for each new business program at the associate and
bachelor’s level for which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation.
3. Describe the remedial and developmental programs employed by the institution to assist
undergraduate students in acquiring the basic skills (e.g., written composition and quantitative skills)
necessary to be successful in their studies.
Institutions without Formal General Education Requirements
In the self-study:
1. Describe the ways in which the institution ensures that business students are equipped with the
general knowledge and skills comprising a broad-based education (e.g., admission requirements
pertaining to prior education, etc.). If this information is also included in the institution’s catalog,
prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide the page numbers for the relevant
sections.
2. Provide copies of relevant documents used by the institution to ensure that business students possess
the necessary broad-based education (e.g., admission application forms, etc.; these should be placed
in the appendix of the self-study).
3. Describe the remedial and developmental programs employed by the institution to assist
undergraduate students in acquiring the basic skills (e.g., written composition and quantitative skills)
necessary to be successful in their studies.
Master’s- and Doctoral-Level Programs: This principle does not apply to master’s- and doctoral-level
programs.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
24
Table 2: Undergraduate General Education Requirements
PROGRAM
CREDIT HOURS MINIMUM CREDIT HOURS
CREDIT HOURS
IN
REQUIRED
FOR
GENERAL EDUCATION
GRADUATION
Hrs
Pct
ASSOCIATE-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Associate of Science in Business Administration
24
40%
60
Global Business
55
43%
128
Supply Chain Management
55
43%
128
BACHELOR’S-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Majors in:
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
25
2.4 Master’s Degree Curriculum
Academic quality in master’s-level business programs requires new master’s degree curricula to
consist of a minimum of thirty semester credit hours (forty-five quarter hours) of graduate-level
course work. The level of these courses should be beyond that of courses in undergraduate-level
business programs. The thirty semester hours (forty-five quarter hours) of graduate-level course
work should be in courses normally reserved for graduate students.
Description
For the purposes of IACBE accreditation, the review of new master’s-level business programs is based in
part on the institution’s published program objectives. The requirement that the level of graduate courses
be beyond that of courses in undergraduate-level business programs means that they should be graduatelevel, advanced courses in business fields. For students entering the new graduate-level business
programs who have not completed an undergraduate business degree prior to enrolling in the program,
there must be some mechanism in place to prepare those students for the graduate-level business courses
in those programs.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. List all of the new master’s-level business programs for which the academic business unit is seeking
accreditation (including each major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, and track
contained within the programs), and provide a copy of the stated curricular requirements for these
programs and/or the page numbers for the sections in the institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing
brochures, or other material that describe these requirements. Also, identify the required number of
credit hours of graduate-level course work for each of these programs.
2. Identify those master’s-level courses in your new programs that are not reserved exclusively for
graduate students, and provide an explanation for this policy where applicable.
3. Describe the ways in which you prepare students entering your new master’s-level programs who
have not completed an undergraduate business degree for the graduate-level business courses in
those programs.
4. For any new master’s-level business program that requires fewer than thirty semester credit hours
(forty-five quarter hours), provide a rationale explaining why this is the case.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
26
2.5 Doctoral Curriculum
Academic quality in doctoral-level business programs requires new doctoral curricula to prepare
students to make significant contributions to the academy.
Description
Degree requirements for new doctoral-level business programs must require scholarly and professional
activities designed to advance the student substantially beyond the educational accomplishments of a
master’s-level degree program. In addition, professional ethics relevant to the purpose of the degree
should be emphasized in the program. The IACBE expects the curricula of accredited doctoral-level
programs in business to be appropriate to the goals of the programs and to contribute to the development
of doctoral degree students into individuals capable of contributing to the academy. All doctoral-level
courses should be rigorous and challenging. While it is acceptable for doctoral students to take some
master’s-level courses in a new doctoral program, a substantial percentage of the required course work
should be in courses reserved for doctoral students.
In addition, doctoral education requires a substantial research component, including courses in statistical
and research methods, and a rigorous research project (i.e., a thesis or dissertation).
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. For each new doctoral-level business program for which the academic business unit is seeking
accreditation, describe the ways in which the curriculum of the program contributes to the
professional and scholarly development of your doctoral students. Include a description of the ways
in which ethical principles are reinforced through the curricula and administrative policies of the
program.
2. Provide syllabi for all doctoral courses (these should be placed in the appendix of the self-study).
3. Provide an analysis of the curricular requirements for each new doctoral-level business program for
which the academic business unit is seeking accreditation. For each program, this analysis should list
each course and indicate whether the course is reserved for doctoral students, and should provide the
percentage of courses in the program that can be taken only by students enrolled in the doctoral
program.
4. Describe the research components in each new doctoral-level business program for which the
academic business unit is seeking accreditation., and indicate the percentage of the total hours
required for the degree program that is dedicated to courses in statistical and research methods and
to a rigorous research project such as a thesis or dissertation.
5. Provide a copy of your dissertation manual. This manual should describe the dissertation process,
including courses required, composition of the dissertation committee, requirements for the
dissertation, etc.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
27
Principle 3: Faculty
Each academic business unit seeking IACBE accreditation for new business programs must (i) ensure that
the programs are supported by qualified and competent faculty, (ii) have an effective method for
recruiting faculty, (iii) evaluate faculty based on defined criteria, (iv) provide support for faculty
development and scholarly activity, and (v) foster an academic climate conducive to excellence in
teaching and learning.
The following characteristics of excellence in business education relate to faculty:

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The academic business unit operates in an environment that encourages and promulgates innovation
and creativity in business education.

The academic business unit has meaningful and effective linkages between the classroom and
practitioners in the business community, thereby contributing to the assurance of currency in and
relevance of its business programs.

Faculty members in the academic business unit integrate ethical viewpoints and principles in their
teaching activities.

Faculty members in the academic business unit strive to be effective teachers who are current in their
professional fields and are active in contributing to their institutions and disciplines. Furthermore,
members of the business faculty are positively engaged within their academic business unit and
contribute to its mission and broad-based goals through appropriate faculty development and faculty
evaluation processes.

The mix of academic and professional credentials of the business faculty is worthy of the respect of
the academic and business communities.

The institution provides resources to the academic business unit that are adequate to accomplish its
mission and broad-based goals.

The content of business courses is delivered in a manner that is appropriate, effective, and stimulates
learning.
3.1 Faculty Qualifications
Academic quality in business programs requires highly-qualified faculty. Therefore, the faculty
who teach in new business programs should possess significant academic and professional
preparation.
Description
High-quality teaching depends on highly-qualified faculty who are capable of providing opportunities for
student learning and who are active in professional and scholarly activities. This principle requires
extensive academic preparation for faculty, including, but not limited to, holding graduate degrees in
business fields in which they teach. The IACBE also recognizes the importance and applicability of
degrees in collateral fields such as computer science, education, engineering, law, and the social sciences.
Furthermore, faculty members with appropriate practical and professional experience are encouraged to
be part of the academic business unit. The IACBE recognizes that preparation for effective teaching is a
life-long task, and that such preparation, emphasizing content as well as pedagogical (or andragogical)
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
28
skills, is enhanced by the teaching experience itself, which should be considered in evaluating faculty
qualifications.
The graduate degrees used to establish faculty credentials should be earned degrees awarded by
institutions having nationally-recognized institutional accreditation or its equivalent, or by institutions
with recognized program accreditation in business.
For the purposes of evaluating the portfolios of faculty members to determine compliance with this
principle, the following definitions apply:
1. To be considered doctorally-qualified to teach at the undergraduate level, a faculty member may:

Hold an earned doctorate in a field of business with a major, minor, concentration, specialization,
or emphasis in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold an earned doctorate in a field of business, and also be professionally-qualified in the area of
assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold a Juris Doctorate and teach in the areas of legal environment of business and/or business
law; or

Hold a Juris Doctorate and a business-related master’s degree, and teach in the areas of legal
environment of business, business law, and/or another area that contains significant legal content;
or

Hold a Juris Doctorate and be a CPA, and teach in the areas of legal environment and/or
accounting; or

Hold an earned out-of-field doctorate,16 along with a sufficient combination of graduate course
work in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities, professional experience, scholarly
achievements, and extensive and substantial documented successful teaching experience at the
college level in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities.
2. To be considered doctorally-qualified to teach at the master’s level, a faculty member may:

Hold an earned doctorate with a major in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold an earned doctorate in a field of business and have a sufficient combination of course work,
professional experience, and/or scholarly achievements in the area of assigned teaching
responsibilities; or

Hold an earned out-of-field doctorate, and have a sufficient combination of course work,
professional experience, and/or scholarly achievements to be considered equivalent to a doctorate
in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities.
3. To be considered doctorally-qualified to teach at the doctoral level, a faculty member may:

Hold an earned doctorate with a major in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold an earned doctorate in a field related to the teaching field (e.g., a faculty member with a
Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology teaching Organizational Behavior).
16
Generally, any doctorate other than a Ph.D. or D.B.A. in a business content field is considered, for business
accreditation purposes, to be an out-of-field doctorate. Out-of-field doctorates include degrees such as the Doctor of
Education degree; the Juris Doctor degree; non-content-area Ph.D.s, such as a Ph.D. in Higher Education
Administration; or interdisciplinary degrees, such as a Ph.D. in Leadership.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
29
4. To be considered professionally-qualified to teach, a faculty member may:

Be A.B.D. (has completed all course work required for a Ph.D. or D.B.A. in business, passed the
general comprehensive examinations, but has not completed a dissertation) with a major, minor,
concentration, specialization, or emphasis in the area of assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold a master’s degree in a business-related field and professional certification (e.g. C.P.A,
C.C.P., C.M.A, P.H.R., etc.) appropriate to the area of assigned teaching responsibilities; or

Hold a master’s degree in a business-related field, and have five or more years of professional
and management experience in work directly related to the area of assigned teaching
responsibilities, and have extensive and substantial documented successful teaching experience in
the area of assigned teaching responsibilities, and demonstrate involvement in meaningful
research or/or programs for the enhancement of pedagogical (or andragogical) skills; or

Hold a master’s degree in a business-related field, and have completed a special post-graduate
training program especially designed to improve the faculty member’s knowledge and teaching
skills in the area of the assigned teaching responsibilities.
5. Minimum Qualifications: The minimum qualification for a faculty member is a master’s degree in a
field appropriate to the area of assigned teaching responsibilities. An academic business unit may
make an exception to this minimum requirement only in emergency cases or special situations where
the faculty member has unique qualifications to meet that specialized need.
Self-Study Guidelines
All full-time and part-time faculty members who teach courses in the new business programs must be
taken into account in responding to this principle. Full-time faculty includes full-time business faculty,
full-time visiting professors, full-time adjunct faculty, and full-time faculty with administrative loads, such
as department chairs. Part-time faculty includes adjuncts, administration, and staff teaching on an
adjunct basis, and full-time faculty from other units teaching part-time in the new business programs.
The academic business unit must provide complete transcripts of all graduate work completed by each
faculty member who teaches in the new programs. The academic business unit should provide a
credentials justification and a portfolio of qualifications for any faculty member teaching in the new
programs who holds an out-of-field doctorate. A credentials justification and a portfolio of qualifications
should also be provided for any faculty member teaching in the new programs who is not either
doctorally- or professionally-qualified. Sample forms for analyzing and justifying faculty credentials are
provided in Appendices C and D of this manual. A portfolio of qualifications consists of:
1. Current vita.
2. Transcripts of all graduate work; graduate courses that relate to the discipline(s) in which the faculty
member is teaching should be highlighted.
3. A description of the faculty member’s teaching, professional, and consulting experience.
4. A listing of the scholarly and professional activities in which the faculty member has been involved
during the past five years.
In the self-study:
1. Provide the page numbers for the section in the institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing
brochures, or other material that describes the academic credentials of each full-time and part-time
faculty member who teaches in the new business programs for which the academic business unit is
seeking accreditation.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
30
2. Provide a current vita for all full-time and part-time business faculty members who teach in the new
business programs (these should be placed in the appendix of the self-study; See Appendix E of this
manual for a suggested vita outline.).17
3. Provide Table 3: Faculty Qualifications. The information in this table should be presented as shown
in sample Table 3 in these guidelines. All faculty who teach courses in the new business programs
must be included, with full- and part-time faculty members listed separately and in alphabetical
order. In cases where a faculty member teaches at more than one program level (undergraduate,
master’s, doctoral levels) and/or in more than one major discipline during the self-study year, list
each program level and discipline on a separate line under the headings “Program Level” and
“Assigned Teaching Disciplines,” respectively. Then, indicate the faculty member’s qualification
status for each program level and teaching discipline under the heading “Level of Qualification.”
For each full-time faculty member who is indicated to be either doctorally- or professionallyqualified in a teaching discipline outside of his/her degree discipline(s), provide a brief rationale for
this qualification status. In determining whether a faculty member is doctorally-, professionally-, or
minimally-qualified, see the definitions above (3.1, Description).
17
If your academic business unit has a very large number of adjunct and part-time faculty members who teach in the
new business programs, contact the IACBE’s headquarters for instructions on how to submit this information.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
31
Table 3: Faculty Qualifications
FACULTY
MEMBERS
YEAR OF
HIRE
HIGHEST DEGREE
TYPE
DISCIPLINE
PROFESSIONAL
CERTIFICATION
CPA
ASSIGNED TEACHING
DISCIPLINES
PROGRAM
LEVEL
LEVEL OF
QUALIFICATION
Accounting
Accounting
International Business
International Business
International Business
Management
Health Care Administration
Management
Management
Economics
Finance
Economics
Finance
Economics
Management
Marketing
Undergraduate
Master’s
Undergraduate
Master’s
Doctoral
Undergraduate
Master’s
Master’s
Doctoral
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Master’s
Master’s
Doctoral
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Professional
Professional
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Doctoral
Professional
Supply Chain Management
Undergraduate
Professional
No
Business Law
Accounting
Finance
Finance
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Master’s
Doctoral
Doctoral
Professional
Professional
Yes
Information Systems
Undergraduate
Minimal
N/A
Human Resources
Human Resources
Undergraduate
Master’s
Professional
Professional
N/A
TENURE
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Chen, J.
1999
MA
Accounting
Gonzales, R.
2002
DBA
International Business
Kramer, B.
2011
PhD
Health Care Management
O’Neill, P.
1996
PhD
Economics
Schneider, C.1
1996
EdD
Business Education
Williams, E.
2007
MBA
Logistics Management
Zimmer, K.2
1997
JD
Law
CFP
CPA
CFP
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
PART-TIME FACULTY
Davis, C.
2012
MS
Computer Science
Mitchell, T.
2004
MBA
HRM
PHR
1
Dr. Schneider is considered to be doctorally-qualified to teach management because she holds an Ed.D, has taken four graduate-level courses in management, and has 10 years of professional
experience as vice president of a non-profit organization; she is considered to be professionally-qualified to teach marketing because she has taken four graduate-level courses in marketing. (See
portfolio containing complete transcripts and vita.)
2
Dr. Zimmer is considered to be doctorally-qualified to teach accounting because she holds a JD and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is considered to be professionally-qualified to teach
finance because she has six years of consulting experience in that area and is a Certified Financial Planner. (See portfolio containing complete transcripts and vita with detailed descriptions of
professional experience.)
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
32
3.2 Faculty Load
Academic quality in business programs requires that faculty members in the new programs have
adequate time to devote to teaching, service, and scholarly activity. Therefore, a faculty member
should not be expected to teach an excessive number of credit hours per academic term, nor
should a faculty member be expected to have an excessive number of course preparations per
academic term.
Appropriate reductions in teaching loads should be provided for faculty members who teach
graduate courses; have significant administrative or service duties; direct multiple graduate
theses, projects, or dissertations; or are engaged in extensive approved research.
Description
Excellence in teaching depends on appropriate faculty workloads. If workloads are excessive, it is likely
that student learning outcomes, as measured by the outcomes assessment process, will be adversely
affected.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Provide the following information pertaining to the institutional policies that relate to the teaching
loads of faculty:
a. The institutional policy that determines the normal teaching load of full-time faculty.
b. A description of the ways in which the policies are administered in terms of overloads and extra
pay for overloads.
c. An explanation of any variations between the academic load policies used in the academic
business unit and other academic units of the institution.
d. The policy on teaching loads for part-time and/or adjunct faculty.
e. An identification of the documents that contain these policies and the page numbers for the
relevant sections where these policies are stated.
2. Provide Table 4: Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated. The information in this table
should be presented as shown in sample Tables 4(U), 4(M), or 4(D) in these guidelines. Submit only
one table, using the form that is appropriate for your academic business unit. Use Table 4(U) if you
are seeking accreditation only for new undergraduate programs; Table 4(M) if you are seeking
accreditation for new master’s-level programs, or for new master’s-level and undergraduate
programs; or Table 4(D) if you are seeking accreditation for new doctoral-level programs, or for a
combination of new doctoral-level and master’s-level and/or undergraduate programs. Full and parttime faculty members should be shown alphabetically and grouped separately. The table should
account for all student credit hours taught in the new business programs during the self-study year,
including both required and elective business courses and courses taught at all off-campus locations.
The qualification level of each faculty member for the credit hours taught, and totals, by faculty
qualification level (doctorally- and professionally-qualified, and other) should be shown, as well as a
grand total for undergraduate-, master’s-, and doctoral-level student credit hours taught. If the
institution is operating on a quarter system, the table will require a slight modification to include
three quarters rather than two semesters. This table should also include the number of sections,
course preparations, and disciplines taught by each faculty member.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
33
Note: In Table 4, include only those faculty who teach in the new programs and only those student
credit hours taught in the new programs.
3. Referring to Table 4(U), 4(M), or 4(D): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated in New
Programs, explain any deviations between actual teaching loads and the institution’s academic load
policy.
4. List all faculty members who teach in the new business programs and who receive reductions in
teaching loads for other professional responsibilities, and indicate the amount of the reduction and
the reason.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
34
Table 4(U): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated
(New undergraduate programs only)
FALL SEMESTER
FACULTY
MEMBERS
QUALIFICATION LEVEL
(UNDERGRADUATE)
SPRING SEMESTER
UG
# of
# of
# of
UG
# of
# of
# of
DQ
PQ
OTHER
SCH
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SCH
SCH
Chen, J.
451
4
2
1
270
4
3
1
Gonzales, R.
207
4
3
1
183
4
3
1
390
Kramer, B.
315
4
3
1
375
4
3
1
690
O’Neill, P.1
267
3
2
2
246
3
2
2
513
Schneider, C.
213
4
3
2
381
4
2
2
81
Williams, E.
378
4
3
1
258
4
2
1
Zimmer, K.
300
4
3
2
336
4
3
3
Davis, C.2
48
1
1
1
69
1
1
1
Mitchell, T.
141
2
2
1
120
2
2
1
2320
30
22
2238
30
21
FULL-TIME FACULTY
721
513
636
636
PART-TIME FACULTY
TOTALS
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY- AND PROFESSIONALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY BUSINESS FACULTY DURING THE SELF-STUDY YEAR
117
261
2310
2131
117
2310
4441
4558
Dr. O’Neill also taught a statistics course for the Math department, but since this is a non-business course, it is not considered to be a part of the business
program, and is therefore not included in this table.
1
2
Ms. Davis is a full-time Assistant Professor of Computer Science who teaches in the Math department, but she teaches one microcomputer applications course
per semester in business (a business-coded course); therefore she is considered to be a part-time faculty member in the listing of business faculty.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ____
Column Headings: UG = Undergraduate Level; SCH = Student Credit Hours; SECT = Course Sections; PREP = Course Preparations; DISC = Disciplines; DQ =
Doctorally-Qualified; PQ = Professionally-Qualified
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
35
Table 4(M): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated
(New master’s-level programs, or new master’s-level and undergraduate programs)
FALL SEMESTER
FACULTY
MEMBERS
QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
(UNDERGRADUATE)
SPRING SEMESTER
QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
(MASTER’S)
UG
MAST
# of
# of
# of
UG
MAST
# of
# of
# of
DQ
PQ
OTHER
DQ
PQ
OTHER
SCH
SCH
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SCH
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
Chen, J.
451
39
4
2
1
270
30
4
3
1
Gonzales, R.
207
4
3
1
183
84
4
3
1
390
84
Kramer, B.
315
30
4
3
1
375
24
4
3
1
690
54
O’Neill, P.1
267
66
3
2
2
246
87
3
2
2
513
153
Schneider, C.
213
4
3
2
381
4
2
2
81
Williams, E.
378
4
3
1
258
4
2
1
Zimmer, K.
300
4
3
2
336
4
3
3
1
1
1
1
FULL-TIME FACULTY
99
75
721
69
513
636
636
174
PART-TIME FACULTY
Davis, C.2
48
1
1
1
69
Mitchell, T.
141
2
2
1
120
81
2
2
30
22
2238
381
30
21
TOTALS
2320
234
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY- AND PROFESSIONALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DEGREE LEVEL
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY BUSINESS FACULTY DURING THE SELF-STUDY YEAR
117
261
2310
2131
2310
81
117
291
324
0
291
4441
4558
615
615
5173
Dr. O’Neill also taught a statistics course for the Math department, but since this is a non-business course, it is not considered to be a part of the business program, and is
therefore not included in this table.
1
2
Ms. Davis is a full-time Assistant Professor of Computer Science who teaches in the Math department, but she teaches one microcomputer applications course per semester in
business (a business-coded course); therefore she is considered to be a part-time faculty member in the listing of business faculty.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Column Headings: UG = Undergraduate Level; MAST = Master’s Level; SCH = Student Credit Hours; SECT = Course Sections; PREP = Course Preparations; DISC =
Disciplines; DQ = Doctorally-Qualified; PQ = Professionally-Qualified
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
36
Table 4(D): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated
(New doctoral-level programs, or a combination of new doctoral-level programs and master’s-level and/or undergraduate programs)
FALL SEMESTER
FACULTY
MEMBERS
UG
SCH
MAST DOCT
SCH
# of
# of
# of
UG
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SCH
4
2
1
270
30
15
4
3
1
183
84
SCH
QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
(UNDERGRADUATE)
SPRING SEMESTER
MAST DOCT
QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
(MASTER’S)
QUALIFICATION
LEVEL
(DOCTORAL)
# of
# of
# of
DQ
PQ
OTHER
DQ
PQ
OTHER
DQ
PQ
OTHER
SECT
PREP
DISC
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
SCH
4
3
1
12
4
3
1
390
84
27
0
0
SCH
FULL-TIME FACULTY
Chen, J.
451
39
Gonzales, R.
207
Kramer, B.
315
30
20
4
3
1
375
24
33
4
3
1
690
54
53
O’Neill, P.1
267
66
18
3
2
2
246
87
21
3
2
2
513
153
39
Schneider, C.
213
4
3
2
381
4
2
2
81
Williams, E.
378
4
3
1
258
4
2
1
Zimmer, K.
300
4
3
2
336
4
3
3
1
1
1
2
2
1
30
21
99
75
721
69
513
636
636
174
PART-TIME FACULTY
Davis, C.2
48
1
1
1
69
Mitchell, T.
141
2
2
1
120
81
TOTALS
2320
30
22
2238
381
234
53
66
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DOCTORALLY- AND PROFESSIONALLY-QUALIFIED FACULTY
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY DEGREE LEVEL
TOTAL STUDENT CREDIT HOURS TAUGHT BY BUSINESS FACULTY DURING THE SELF-STUDY YEAR
117
261
2310
2131
2310
81
117
291
324
291
4441
4558
0
119
119
615
119
615
119
5292
Dr. O’Neill also taught a statistics course for the Math department, but since this is a non-business course, it is not considered to be a part of the business program, and is
therefore not included in this table.
1
2
Ms. Davis is a full-time Assistant Professor of Computer Science who teaches in the Math department, but she teaches one microcomputer applications course per
semester in business (a business-coded course); therefore she is considered to be a part-time faculty member in the listing of business faculty.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Column Headings: UG = Undergraduate Level; MAST = Master’s Level; DOCT = Doctoral Level; SCH = Student Credit Hours; SECT = Course Sections; PREP = Course
Preparations; DISC = Disciplines; DQ = Doctorally-Qualified; PQ = Professionally-Qualified
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
37
3.3 Faculty Deployment
Academic quality in business programs requires appropriate program coverage by qualified
faculty. Therefore, to ensure that the academic business unit’s new business programs are
properly supported, a high percentage of the undergraduate- and master’s-level student credit
hours in those programs must be taught by doctorally-qualified and professionally-qualified
faculty members. At the doctoral level, it is expected that all doctoral student credit hours will be
taught by doctorally-qualified faculty.
In addition, for each new business program offered (including majors, concentrations,
specializations, emphases, options, and tracks), the academic business unit should have at least
one full-time doctorally-qualified or professionally-qualified faculty member who teaches in and
oversees that program.
Description
The academic business unit’s new business programs must be appropriately supported by highly-qualified
faculty. Therefore, faculty members should be deployed in such a way as to give all students in the new
business programs reasonable access to instruction from doctorally-qualified and professionally-qualified
full-time faculty.
Furthermore, for each new business program (including majors, concentrations, specializations,
emphases, options, and tracks), there must be at least one full-time faculty member who is doctorallyqualified or professionally-qualified to teach in that field of study and who provides coordination and
leadership for that program. If an individual faculty member is doctorally-qualified or professionallyqualified in more than one discipline, it is possible for the faculty member to teach in more than one
major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track and still comply with this principle.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Provide Table 5: Faculty Coverage Summary. The information in this table should be presented as
shown in sample Tables 5(U), 5(M), or 5(D) in these guidelines. The data for this table come directly
from the totals in Tables 4(U), 4(M), or 4(D): Teaching Load and Student Credit Hours Generated in
New Programs in the previous principle. Submit only one table, using the form that is appropriate for
your academic business unit. Use Table 5(U) if you are seeking accreditation only for new
undergraduate programs; Table 5(M) if you are seeking accreditation for new master’s-level
programs, or for new master’s-level and undergraduate programs; or Table 5(D) if you are seeking
accreditation for new doctoral-level programs, or for a combination of new doctoral-level and
master’s-level and/or undergraduate programs.
2. Provide Table 6: Program Coverage. The information in this table should be presented as shown in
sample Table 6 in these guidelines. This table should list all new business programs (including
majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks) for which the academic
business unit is seeking accreditation, and should identify one full-time doctorally- or professionallyqualified faculty member who teaches in and coordinates that program.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
38
Table 5(U): Faculty Coverage Summary
(New undergraduate programs only)
STUDENT CREDIT HOURS (SCH) TAUGHT IN NEW PROGRAMS DURING SELF-STUDY YEAR
UNDERGRADUATE SCH
Total SCH Taught by Business Faculty in New Programs
4,558
SCH Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
4,441
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty
97.4%
SCH Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
2,310
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty
50.7%
Table 5(M): Faculty Coverage Summary
(New master’s-level programs, or new master’s-level and undergraduate programs)
UNDERGRADUATE SCH
MASTER’S SCH
TOTAL
Total SCH Taught by Business Faculty in New Programs
4,558
615
5,173
SCH Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
4,441
615
5,056
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty
97.4%
100%
97.7%
SCH Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
2,310
291
2,601
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty
50.7%
47.3%
50.3%
STUDENT CREDIT HOURS (SCH) TAUGHT IN NEW PROGRAMS DURING SELF-STUDY YEAR
Table 5(D): Faculty Coverage Summary
(New doctoral-level programs, or a combination of new doctoral-level programs and master’s-level and/or undergraduate programs)
UNDERGRADUATE SCH
MASTER’S SCH
DOCTORAL SCH
TOTAL
Total SCH Taught by Business Faculty in New Programs
4,558
615
119
5,292
SCH Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
4,441
615
119
5,175
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught by Doctorally- and Professionally-Qualified Faculty
97.4%
100%
100%
97.8%
SCH Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty in New Programs
2,310
291
119
2,720
Percent of Total SCH in New Programs Taught Only by Doctorally-Qualified Faculty
50.7%
47.3%
100%
51.4%
STUDENT CREDIT HOURS (SCH) TAUGHT IN NEW PROGRAMS DURING SELF-STUDY YEAR
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
39
Table 6: Program Coverage
FACULTY
MEMBER
QUALIFICATION LEVEL
C. Schneider
Professionally-Qualified
Global Business
R. Gonzales
Doctorally-Qualified
Supply Chain Management
E. Williams
Professionally-Qualified
B. Kramer
Doctorally-Qualified
R. Gonzales
Doctorally-Qualified
PROGRAM
ASSOCIATE-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Associate of Science in Business Administration
BACHELOR’S-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with Majors in:
MASTER’S-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Master of Business Administration with a Specialization in:
Health Care Administration
DOCTORAL-LEVEL PROGRAMS
Ph.D. in Business Administration
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
40
Principle 4: Resources
Excellence in business education requires appropriate resources to be provided to the academic business
unit, especially in relationship to the support provided to other academic units of the institution. The
allocation of resources should be related to the specific mission and broad-based goals of the academic
business unit. Adequate financial support for human resources, libraries, facilities, and equipment is
essential to ensuring excellence in the academic business unit’s business programs.
The following characteristics of excellence in business education pertain to resource allocation:

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The academic business unit operates in an environment that encourages and promulgates innovation
and creativity in business education.

Faculty members in the academic business unit integrate ethical viewpoints and principles in their
teaching activities.

Faculty members in the academic business unit strive to be effective teachers who are current in their
professional fields and are active in contributing to their institutions and disciplines. Furthermore,
members of the business faculty are positively engaged within their academic business unit and
contribute to its mission and broad-based goals through appropriate faculty development and faculty
evaluation processes.

The institution provides resources to the academic business unit that are adequate to accomplish its
mission and broad-based goals.

The organizational structures of the institution and the academic business unit support excellence in
business education.
4.1 Financial Resources
Academic quality in business programs requires financial resources that are sufficient to support
the new programs.
Description
The resources allocated to the academic business unit should be sufficient to support its new business
programs. Student learning outcomes in the new business programs, as measured by the outcomes
assessment process, may be adversely affected if the resources allocated to the academic business unit are
inadequate.
Self-Study Guidelines
Associate-, Bachelor’s-, and Master’s-Level Programs:
In the self-study:
1. Describe the budget development and budget amendment processes of the institution. If applicable,
this narrative should also include a description of the ways in which the results from implementing
the academic business unit’s outcomes assessment plan in your new business programs are
integrated into the budget development process.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
41
2. Provide the following information:
a. A description of the additional financial resources that are allocated to the academic business
unit for support of your new business programs. If no new financial resources have been
allocated to the academic business unit for the new programs, explain the reason(s), and describe
the ways in which you adequately support the new programs with previously-existing resources.
b. If you submitted curriculum and/or budget proposals to your parent institution and/or
institutional governing body for your new business programs, provide copies of these proposals
(these should be placed in the appendix of the self-study).
3. List the non-faculty personnel in your academic business unit by classification type who support your
new business programs.
4. Provide Table 7: Salary Ranges of Full-Time Faculty by Rank. The information in this table should
be presented as shown in sample Table 7 in these guidelines. This table should contain the actual
salary ranges (lowest, mean, and highest) for all full-time faculty who teach in your new business
programs during the self-study year (academic year salaries—9 month salaries before overloads) for
each of the faculty ranks in the academic business unit. Do not include faculty who are on leave or on
sabbatical and are receiving a reduced rate during the period of absence.
5. If applicable, state the method of computation for extra pay of full-time faculty who teach in your new
business programs in the following areas (Note: Extra pay is additional compensation over and
above a faculty member’s annual contract compensation during the self-study year.):
a. Overload
b. Evening courses
c. Off-campus courses
d. Summer courses
e. Non-credit courses
6. State the rates of pay for part-time (adjunct) faculty who teach business courses in your new business
programs.
7. Provide the page numbers for the section in your institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing
brochures, or other material that describes the tuition and fees for each new business program.
Doctoral-Level Programs:
In the self-study:
Describe the financial resources supporting the academic business unit’s new doctoral-level business
programs.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
42
Table 7: Salary Ranges of Full-Time Faculty by Rank
ACADEMIC YEAR SALARY RANGES BY RANK
NUMBER OF
FULL-TIME FACULTY
LOWEST
MEAN
HIGHEST
Professor
2
$61,000
$63,750
$66,500
Associate Professor
2
$50,500
$54,500
$58,500
Assistant Professor
3
$45,000
$46,733
$48,700
Instructor
0
N/A
N/A
N/A
Other
0
N/A
N/A
N/A
FACULTY RANK
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
43
4.2 Facilities
Academic quality in business programs requires the physical facilities available to the academic
business unit’s new business programs to be of sufficient quality to support high-quality business
education.
Description
The classrooms and computer laboratories available to the students and faculty in the academic business
unit’s new business programs should be sufficient in number, size, and quality to provide an educational
environment that supports excellence in teaching and learning. Furthermore, full-time business faculty
who teach in the new programs should be provided with office space that is adequate for their teaching
and scholarly activities.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Describe the physical facilities, such as classrooms, computer laboratories, and faculty offices, that
are available to business students and faculty in your new business programs. Plans for renovation of
space or construction of new facilities associated with the programs should also be described.
2. Provide Table 8: Office Facilities for Business Faculty. The information in this table should be
presented as shown in sample Table 8 in these guidelines. This table should identify the types of
offices available for faculty who teach in your new business programs and the number of faculty
members in each type of office.
3. Provide Table 9: Evaluation of Educational Space. The information in this table should be presented
as shown in sample Table 9 in these guidelines. This table should contain an overall, summary
evaluation of the adequacy of the educational space that is available to the students and faculty in
your new business programs.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
44
Table 8: Office Facilities for Business Faculty
TYPE OF OFFICE
FULL-TIME
FACULTY
PART-TIME
FACULTY
One-Person Office
5
Two-Person Office
2
2
7
2
GRADUATE
ASSISTANTS
EMERETI
FACULTY
0
0
Three-Person Office
Four-Person Office
TOTAL
Table 9: Evaluation of Educational Facilities
CHARACTERISTIC
Adequacy of
Existing Classroom
Space
Adequacy of Faculty
Office Space
EXCELLENT
GOOD
FAIR
POOR
UNSATISFACTORY


Proximity of
Classrooms to
Faculty Offices

Proximity of
Classrooms to
Computer Labs,
Audio-Visual
Services, Library, etc.

New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
45
4.3 Learning Resources
Academic quality in business programs requires a comprehensive library and other necessary
learning resources to be available to business students and faculty in the new business programs.
Description
The definition of learning resources is changing, and as electronic resources and access become
increasingly available, so too are the methods of making learning resources available to students and
faculty. It is expected that the institution will provide comprehensive learning resources that are sufficient
to support the new business programs of the academic business unit in a manner that is consistent with the
mission and broad-based goals of the institution.
Library holdings should be sufficient in size and scope to (i) complement the total instructional program
of the new business programs, (ii) provide incentives for individual learning, and (iii) support appropriate
scholarly and professional activities of the faculty who teach in the new programs.
Evidence should exist that a focused and systematic acquisitions program is in operation, and that some
form of faculty consultation and review is a continuing aspect of library acquisitions.
In new off-campus programs (including online and hybrid delivery methods), there also should be
adequate library support, which includes access to library facilities and/or electronic library access.
Evidence should be available that off-campus students are provided library support for research and
reading assignments comparable to that of the on-campus students. It is usually beneficial to have
cooperative arrangements with information sources external to the institution to augment the library
support.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Provide a list of the business journals, databases, and other learning resources available to business
students and faculty in your new business programs (this should be placed in the appendix of the selfstudy).
2. Provide a description of the annual budget for the learning resources supporting your new business
programs.
3. Provide a general statement of library support for the new business programs offered by the
academic business unit.18 This statement should address:
a. Inter-library loan program.
b. Library support for faculty.
c. Library support for students.
d. Acquisitions program (including faculty consultation and review).
e. Library support for new off-campus programs (including online and hybrid delivery methods).
18
This statement is normally prepared by the director of the library.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
46
4.4 Educational Technology and Support
Academic quality in business programs requires sufficient instructional and computing resources
and support to be provided to business faculty and students in the new business programs.
Description
The institution should obtain, maintain, and support instructional and educational technology that is
sufficient in quality and quantity to support all of the new business programs offered by the academic
business unit. This includes the provision of comparable equipment and support at new off-campus sites.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
Describe the instructional and educational technology and support available to business faculty and
students in your new business programs. This description should address the following areas:
1. Technology available in the classrooms used by the academic business unit.
2. Technology available to students in computer laboratories and libraries.
3. Technology available to faculty in their offices.
4. Technology available at new off-campus locations.
5. Technology support available to business students and faculty (both on- and off-campus).
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
47
4.5 Off-Campus Locations
Academic quality in business programs requires the resources available to students and faculty in
new off-campus programs to be comparable to those at on-campus locations. Therefore, human
and financial resources, facilities, libraries, and equipment at all off-campus locations should be
sufficient to support the new business programs taught at those locations.
Description
The off-campus locations at which the new business programs of the academic business unit are offered
should have resources that are comparable to those that are available to on-campus students and faculty.
These resources include student access to full-time faculty, computers and other learning resources, and
student advising.
Self-Study Guidelines
In the self-study:
1. Provide Table 10: Off-Campus Locations. The information in this table should be presented as shown
in sample Table 10 in these guidelines. This table should list each of your instructional sites
(including the main campus and all off-campus sites) at which your new business programs are
offered, and indicate the number of business student credit hours in the new programs taught at each
location, along with the percentage of the total number of business student credit hours in the new
programs taught at each location.
2. Describe the resources that are available at each off-campus location at which the new business
programs are offered. This description should address the following areas:
a. Full-time faculty
b. Financial resources
c. Facilities
d. Libraries
e. Equipment
3. Describe the ways in which you ensure that the quality of your new off-campus business programs is
comparable to the quality of those programs that are taught on-campus.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
48
Table 10: Off-Campus Locations
STUDENT CREDIT HOURS
IN NEW PROGRAMS
TAUGHT AT THIS LOCATION
PERCENTAGE OF THE
TOTAL NUMBER OF
STUDENT CREDIT HOURS IN
NEW PROGRAMS TAUGHT
AT THIS LOCATION
Main Campus
3,117
58.9%
Off-Campus Site A
1,360
25.7%
Off-Campus Site B
815
15.4%
5,292
100%
LOCATION
TOTAL
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
49
Principle 5: Admissions Processes
Excellence in business education requires effective internal relationships between the academic business
unit and other functional units within the institution. This includes admissions processes that are
consistent with institutional and academic business unit mission and goals, and that support academic
quality in in the academic business unit’s business programs.
The following characteristics of excellence in business education relate to admissions processes:

The academic business unit has a clearly defined mission and broad-based goals that are consistent
with those of the institution.

The academic business unit strives for higher levels of overall performance consistent with its
mission as reflected in its student learning outcomes, operational effectiveness, and the
accomplishment of its mission and broad-based goals.

The academic business unit engages in a strategic planning process that is driven by the approved
mission and broad-based goals of the academic business unit, is consistent with the strategic planning
process of the institution, and is in touch with the realities of business education and the marketplace.

The academic business unit operates in an environment that encourages and promulgates innovation
and creativity in business education.

The academic business unit encourages both internal and external cooperative relationships with other
educational units and institutions that are consistent with its mission and broad-based goals.

The missions of the institution and the academic business unit are effectively communicated to
current and prospective students.

The organizational structures of the institution and the academic business unit support excellence in
business education.
5.1 Admissions Processes
Academic quality in business programs requires admissions processes and policies that ensure
that students who are admitted to new business programs have a reasonable chance of success in
the program to which they have been admitted.
Note: This principle needs to be addressed only if the admissions policies and procedures for the new
program(s) are different than those for previously IACBE-accredited programs.
Description
Associate- and Bachelor’s-Level Programs: Students who are admitted to a new business program
should have a reasonable chance to succeed in the program. This requires admissions policies and
processes that are appropriate to the business programs offered by the institution.
Master’s-Level Programs: Institution’s that offer new master’s-level business programs should have
admissions standards in place that will help to ensure that students have a reasonable chance to succeed in
the program to which they have been admitted. The admissions standards should be based on relevant
criteria that have been shown, at the institutional level, to be highly correlated with student success.
Criteria may include such factors as performance on graduate entrance examinations such as the GMAT
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
50
or GRE, undergraduate grades, professional experience, performance in required prerequisite courses, or
graduate courses taken prior to admission.
Doctoral-Level Programs: Admission to new doctoral-level business programs is expected to be highly
competitive. Only those students who are likely to excel as academic professionals should be admitted to
a doctoral program. Each institution should have doctoral program admissions standards in place that will
help to ensure that students have a reasonable chance to succeed in the doctoral program to which they
have been admitted. The admissions standards should be based on relevant criteria that have been shown,
at the institutional level, to be highly correlated with student success. Criteria may include such factors as
performance on graduate entrance examinations such as the GMAT or GRE, undergraduate and graduate
grades, professional experience, or performance in required prerequisite courses.
Self-Study Guidelines
Associate- and Bachelor’s-Level Programs:
In the self-study:
1. For the new associate- and bachelor’s-level business programs for which the academic business unit
is seeking accreditation, describe the policies and procedures for admission to these programs in the
following areas (if these are described in your institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures,
or other material, provide the page numbers for the relevant sections):
a. Admission of freshmen to these programs.
b. Admission of students from within your institution to these programs.
c. Admission of transfer students from other institutions to these programs.
d. Admission of students from within your institution between the traditional and nontraditional
formats of these programs.
e. Acceptance of transfer credit from other institutions, and your method of validating the credits
for these programs.
2. Describe the exceptions you have made in the administration of your admissions policies for
associate and bachelor’s degree students in your new programs during the self-study year.
Master’s-Level Programs:
In the self-study:
1. For the new master’s-level business programs for which the academic business unit is seeking
accreditation, describe the policies and procedures for admission to these programs. If these are
described in your institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide
the page numbers for the relevant sections. Describe the ways in which the admission of students to
these programs conforms to the approved admissions policies, and identify any exceptions that you
have made.
2. Describe any differences in admissions policies for each format in which your new master’s-level
business programs are offered (e.g., day, evening, weekend, online, distance, intensive, or
accelerated).
3. Describe the policies and procedures pertaining to the acceptance of transfer credit from other
institutions, and your method of validating the credits for your new master’s-level programs in
business and business fields.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
51
4. Explain the ways in which your master’s-level program admissions requirements attempt to ensure
that students admitted to your new master’s-level programs have a reasonable chance to succeed in
the program to which they are admitted.
Doctoral-Level Programs:
In the self-study:
1. For the new doctoral-level business programs for which the academic business unit is seeking
accreditation, describe the policies and procedures for admission to these programs. If these are
described in your institution’s catalog, prospectus, marketing brochures, or other material, provide
the page numbers for the relevant sections. Describe the ways in which the admission of students to
these programs conforms to the approved admissions policies, and identify any exceptions that you
have made.
2. Describe any differences in admissions policies for each format in which your new doctoral-level
business programs are offered (e.g., day, evening, weekend, online, distance, intensive, or
accelerated).
3. Describe the policies and procedures pertaining to the acceptance of transfer credit from other
institutions, and your method of validating the credits for your new doctoral-level programs in
business and business fields.
4. Explain the ways in which your doctoral-level program admissions requirements attempt to ensure
that students admitted to your new doctoral-level programs have a reasonable chance to succeed in
the program to which they are admitted.
New Program Accreditation Manual – Amended December 2015
52
SECTION FOUR:
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Cover Page of Self-Study
Appendix B: Example of Abbreviated Course Syllabus
Appendix C: Analysis of Credentials for Business Faculty
Appendix D: Credentials Justification Example
Appendix E: Vita Outline
Appendix F: Integrating Strategic Planning and Outcomes Assessment
Appendix G: Glossary of Terms
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Appendix A
Cover Page of Self-Study
New Program Self-Study
International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE)
Name of Institution
Chief Executive Officer’s Name/Title
Chief Academic Officer’s Name/Title
Name of Academic Business Unit
Head of Academic Business Unit’s Name/Title
Academic Year Covered by Self-Study
Date of Submission of Self-Study to the IACBE
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Appendix B
Example of Abbreviated Course Syllabus
Course Number:
Marketing (Mktg) 372
Course Name:
Principles of Marketing
Instructors:
Brown, Smith and True
Required Text:
McCarthy, Perreault: Basic Marketing, Irwin
Course Description
A description and analysis of business activities designed to plan price, promote,
and distribute products and services to customers. Topics studied include the
marketing environment, consumer buying habits and motives, types of
middlemen, marketing institutions and changes, government regulations,
advertising and current marketing practices.
Topic Outline
Estimated
Contact Hours
I.
Introduction to Principles
A. Environmental Factors
B. Market Segmentation, Sales Forecasting
C. Buyer Behavior
D. Market Research and Marketing
E. Information Systems
9
II.
Product Variables
A. Classification, Branding, Packaging, Labeling
B. Product Mix, Product Assortments, Product Positioning
3
III.
Place/Distribution Decisions
A. Channels of Distribution
B. Wholesaling
C. Retailing
D. Physical Distribution/Logistics/Supply-Chain Management
9
IV.
Promotion Decisions
A. Advertising and Publicity
B. Personal Selling
V.
Pricing Decisions
A. Pricing Concepts
B. Setting Prices
6
VI.
Uncontrollable Variables
3
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7.5
55
Example of Abbreviated Course Syllabus (Continued)
VII. Selected Applications
A. Marketing Management
B. Industrial Marketing
C. International Marketing
D. Non-business Marketing
7.5
Total Sessions Expressed as Contact Hours
45
Recap
Identification of CPC Topics Covered in this Course:
Estimated
Contact Hours
Accounting
Marketing
Finance
Management
Management Principles
Organizational Behavior
Human Resource Management
Operations Management
Economic/Social/Legal Environment
Legal Environment of Business
Economics
Business Ethics
Decision-Support Tools
Information Systems
Quantitative Methods/Statistics
International/Global Dimensions of Business
Integrative Experience
0
45
0
Total (estimate of contact hours)
5819
3
1
0
0
1
2
1
0
2
2
1
19
CPC topics covered in business core courses are not mutually exclusive. The CPC contact hours shown in this
summary for a marketing course add to more than 45 hours because other topical areas of the CPC are covered in the
course along with the primary subject of marketing. For example, a lecture on international marketing could include
contact hours under CPC headings of both “Marketing” and “International/Global Dimensions of Business.”
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Appendix C
Analysis of Credentials for Business Faculty
Faculty Member’s Name
EDUCATION
1. Doctoral Degree:
Institution
 Ph.D.
 D.B.A.
 Ed.D.
Year
 Th.D.
Field
 D.Div./D.Min
2.
 M.B.A.
 M.S.
 M.A.
 LLM
Field
 Other
 B.B.A.
 Other
Field
3.
Master’s Degree:
Institution
Year
Bachelor’s Degree:  B.S.
Institution
 B.A.
Year
Graduate Credit Hours
Discipline
Accounting
Business Administration
E-Commerce
Economics
Finance
Information Systems
International Business
 J.D
4.
Credits
Discipline
Law
Leadership
Management
Marketing
Quantitative Methods
Theology/Ethics
Credits
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Area
Years of
Experience
Accounting
Advertising
Auditing
Banking
Consulting
E-Commerce
Economic Research
Entrepreneurship/SBM
Finance
General Management
Health Care Admin.
HR Management
Information Systems
International Business
Investments
Law
Manufacturing
Market Research
Marketing Management
Nonprofit Management
Operations Management
Public Relations
Quality Control
Sales
PREVIOUS TEACHING EXPERIENCE (here since:
Institution
Years
FT/PT
SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Discipline
Accounting
Business Administration
Economics
Finance
Information Systems
International Business
Law
CERTIFICATIONS
 CPA (
)
Years of
Experience
Area
√
 CFP
)
Teaching Disciplines
Discipline
Leadership
Management
Marketing
Nonprofit Organizations
Quantitative Methods
Theology/Ethics
 CMA
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√
 Other:____________________________
57
Analysis of Credentials for Business Faculty (Continued)
Undergraduate Business Courses
Course
Number
Course Name
Credentialed?
(Y/N)
Basis
Evaluated
by
Date
Basis
Evaluated
by
Date
Graduate Business Courses
Course
Number
Course Name
Credentialed?
(Y/N)
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Appendix D
Credentials Justification Example
Faculty Name: John Doe, Ed.D., MBA, MSQS
Faculty Rank: Assistant Professor
List courses covered by this credential justification:






MBA ______ - Quantitative Methods
MBA ______ - Organizational Development
MBA ______ - Total Quality Management
MBA ______ - Operations Management
MBA ______ - International Marketing
MBA ______ - International Management
_________ University deems Dr. John Doe to be qualified and competent to teach the above listed classes based
upon the following criteria:
1. Dr. Doe has a Doctor of Education degree in Adult Education from the Nova Southeastern University. He
also holds a Master of Business Administration degree and a Master of Science in Quality Systems degree
from the University of Dallas. His master’s level coursework focuses extensively on quantitative methods,
operations management, and quality management.
2. Dr. Doe has served as the Manager of Quality Assurance Special Projects for Texas Instruments, where he
played a leading role in TI’s successful quest for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award, which TI
won in 1992. For that effort, Dr. Doe received the Texas Instruments Quality Award.
3. Dr. Doe has a national reputation as an expert in quality management. He has served on the Malcolm
Baldridge Quality Award board of examiners; as a senior examiner for those awards; and as a judge for the
Texas Quality Award and the Presidential Quality Award.
4. Dr. Doe is certified as a licensed Professional Quality Engineer. He is also certified by the American
Society for Quality Control as a quality manager, quality auditor, and quality and reliability engineer.
5. Dr. Doe accumulated significant experience in international management and marketing while working for
Texas Instruments. He conducted quality assurance training classes in Singapore as part of the
establishment of the Singapore Quality Award. He worked with European Economic Community officials
in five European countries concerning metric conversions. He also worked with officials in Argentina,
Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore,
Australia, and Spain on metric initiatives. He served on an international marketing team for the TI Optical
Interferometer. He traveled to England, Scotland, Germany, Italy, France, and Spain to market the MultiRole Combat Aircraft Radar. He also traveled to Europe, the Far East, Southeast Asia, South America,
Mexico, and Canada to select international suppliers, coordinate with international trade associations and
government entities, evaluate and audit suppliers, and resolve differences among international specifications
and operating procedures.
Dean, Academic Business Unit
Date
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Date
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Appendix E
Vita Outline
1.
Name
2.
Rank
3.
Tenured or non-tenured
4.
Department or division
5.
Year joined the institution
6.
Teaching experience
7.
Areas of assigned teaching responsibility
8.
Education background (include fields of specialization)
9.
Prior experience not in education
10. Professional memberships (include offices held)
11. Professional meetings attended (include dates)
12. Papers presented (include dates)
13. Publications
14. Other research activity
15. Consulting
16. Professional growth activities
17. Seminars, training programs, etc., conducted for business and industry
18. Professional presentations, speeches, etc.
19. Institutional services performed
20. Awards, honors, and recognitions
21. Professionally-related community activities
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Appendix F
Integrating Strategic Planning and Outcomes Assessment
One approach to linking the strategic planning and outcomes assessment processes of the academic
business unit is to integrate the two into a single, comprehensive process. In this fully-integrated
approach, the process would include the following elements:
1. A profile of the academic business unit, including its history, mission, broad-based goals, vision,
foundational assumptions, and guiding values.
2. A description and assessment of the academic business unit’s resources, including human, physical,
financial, and technological resources (situational analysis).
3. An external environmental analysis, including key sociological, technological, economic, political,
educational, and competitive environments in which the academic business unit operates.
4. A summary of the academic business unit’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT
Analysis).
5. An identification of intended student learning outcomes for each business program; strategies and
action plans for achieving the outcomes and for making changes and improvements.
6. An identification of intended operational outcomes for the academic business unit; strategies and
action plans for achieving the outcomes and for making changes and improvements.
7. Outcomes assessment and evaluation processes for measuring the extent of accomplishment of
mission, goals, and outcomes.
8. An identification and copies of at least two direct and two indirect measures of student learning and
their associated rubrics that will be used to assess intended student learning outcomes in each
business program; performance targets/criteria for each measurement tool.
9. An identification and copies of the tools/techniques that will be used to assess the operational
effectiveness of the academic business unit (operational outcomes); performance targets/criteria for
each assessment tool/technique.
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Appendix G
Glossary of Terms
Academic Business Unit: The principal organizational unit responsible for the administration of the
business programs of the institution, whether that unit is a department, division, school, college, faculty,
or other organizational structure.
Academic Business Unit Member: An academic business unit that is (1) an Educational Member of the
IACBE, or (2) a Candidate for Accreditation by the IACBE, or (3) an Accredited Member of the IACBE.
See also “Educational Member,” “Candidate for Accreditation,” and “Accredited Member.”
Academic Quality: The overall level of performance of the academic business unit in the context of its
mission as measured by the extent of accomplishment of the unit’s intended student learning and
operational outcomes and its mission and broad-based goals.
Accreditation: 1. The process of self-study and external peer review for quality assurance,
accountability, and quality improvement of an institution of higher education offering business programs.
2. The recognition of excellence in business education by the IACBE; excellence in business education
for the academic business unit includes achieving its mission and broad-based goals, and compliance with
the IACBE’s Accreditation Principles.
Accreditation Recognition: In the United States, accreditation recognition is the process of quality
assurance for institutional and specialized accrediting bodies by either the U.S. Department of Education
(DOE) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Internationally, quality assurance for
accrediting bodies is provided by governmental bodies or non-governmental organizations.
Accredited Member: The status granted by the IACBE Board of Commissioners to an academic
business unit that has successfully completed the IACBE accreditation review process and has business
programs accredited by the IACBE.
Action Plan: A series of steps designed to accomplish a goal or an objective, or to make changes and
improvements related to strategic planning and outcomes assessment.
Annual Report: A report required of all academic business unit members of the IACBE, regardless of
accreditation status, which is to be submitted annually to the IACBE. The annual reports are used to
monitor the status of academic business unit members and their efforts toward continuous improvement.
Applicant: An academic business unit that has submitted a completed IACBE membership application
form with appropriate enclosures as specified in the IACBE’s criteria for educational membership.
Articulation: Articulation agreements are agreements between two or more institutions of higher
education in which they mutually agree to accept courses as if the courses had been taught by their own
institutions. The agreement would specify the courses that would be transferable, and whether they would
be applicable toward a given degree program.
Assessment: A process of determining whether established student learning and operational
goals/objectives have been achieved, and whether the mission and broad-based goals of the academic
business unit are being accomplished. The process involves gathering, evaluating, and interpreting results
in light of intended outcomes. See also “Closing the Loop.”
Benchmarking: The process of continuously measuring and comparing an academic business unit’s
resources, processes, and outcomes against comparable resources, processes, and outcomes in the
academic business units of leading institutions of higher education, and against educational best practices
to obtain information that will assist the academic business unit in identifying and implementing
improvements.
Board of Commissioners: The Board of Commissioners is the independent accreditation decisionmaking body of the IACBE and is elected by the organization’s membership in accordance with IACBE
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bylaws. The commissioners review and evaluate requests for specialized business program accreditation,
and determine the accreditation status of all IACBE academic business unit members. The commissioners
are responsible for maintaining and updating the IACBE accreditation processes and associated manuals.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors is elected by the IACBE’s academic business unit
membership in accordance with the bylaws of the IACBE. The directors are responsible for general
oversight of the affairs of the Assembly and for establishing policy.
Broad-Based Goals: These represent aspirations of the academic business unit and should be directly
related to the accomplishment of the academic business unit’s mission. In support of IACBE’s
Accreditation Principles, there are two general types of broad-based goals: student learning goals and
operational goals.
Business Core: The business and business-related courses, modules, credits, classes, subjects, papers, etc.
in a degree program that are required of all students and are common to the program overall regardless of
any major, concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track comprising any portion of the
program.
Business Program: A program of study consisting of an organized set of courses, modules, credits,
classes, subjects, papers, etc. that satisfies all of the following three criteria: (1) the program leads to the
awarding of a degree, diploma, or other equivalent credential at the associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or
doctoral level, (2) the credit hours (or contact hours as applicable) in the traditional areas of business
education in the courses, modules, credits, classes, subjects, papers, etc. comprising the program
constitute 20 percent or more of the total hours required for an undergraduate degree, diploma, or other
equivalent credential, or 50 percent or more of the total hours required for a graduate degree, diploma, or
other equivalent credential, and (3) the program appears on a student’s official transcript, diploma
supplement, or other official record of program completion. Furthermore, all majors, concentrations,
specializations, emphases, options, and tracks comprising any portion of the program will also be
encompassed by the IACBE’s scope of accreditation if and only if they satisfy the following two criteria:
(1) fifty percent or more of the credit hours (or contact hours as applicable) required for any major,
concentration, specialization, emphasis, option, or track are in the traditional areas of business education
and (2) the majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and tracks appear on a student’s
official transcript, diploma supplement, or other official record of program completion. See also
“Traditional Areas of Business Education.”
Candidacy: A process during which an academic business unit prepares for a first-time accreditation
review by the IACBE. Educational members of the IACBE apply for and may be granted candidacy status
by the IACBE Board of Commissioners.
Candidate for Accreditation: The status granted by the IACBE Board of Commissioners to an academic
business unit that has successfully completed the candidacy process as outlined in the IACBE’s
Accreditation Process Manual.
CHEA: The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a private, nonprofit national organization that
coordinates accreditation activities in the United States. The purposes of CHEA are: (a) advocacy for
voluntary accreditation and quality assurance, (b) service, (c) and recognition/certification of regional,
national, and specialized accrediting organizations.
Closing the Loop: Completing all six phases of the assessment cycle: employing appropriate measures of
student learning and operational assessment; evaluating the results against intended outcomes; identifying
changes and improvements that are needed; developing action plans to implement those changes and
improvements; integrating the action plans into the strategic planning process; and identifying realized
outcomes.
Common Professional Component (CPC): The Common Professional Component (CPC) is composed
of required coverage of topical/ subject areas in undergraduate business programs, as set forth in the
IACBE’s Self-Study Manual.
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Degree Program: An organized sequence of courses, modules, credits, classes, subjects, papers, etc. that
leads to the awarding of a degree, diploma, or other equivalent credential at the undergraduate or graduate
level in an institution of higher education. See also “Business Program.”
Direct Measures: See Measures, Direct
Educational Innovation: Responses to the cultural, demographic, and technological shifts in society that
require changes in business education. Those changes will involve the application of effective new ideas,
methods, and approaches to business education.
Educational Member: An academic business unit that has met the IACBE’s requirements for
educational membership as outlined in the IACBE’s Accreditation Process Manual.
Faculty Development: A process whereby faculty members seek to improve their scholarship of
teaching, discovery, application, and integration (Boyer, 1990).
Faculty Load: Consists of teaching loads (the actual number of courses taught during an academic term
for full-time, part-time, and adjunct faculty), and other academic assignments (e.g., student advising,
committee work, and other administrative assignments).
Faculty Qualification Levels: A faculty member’s education, certifications, industry experience, and
teaching experience determine his or her qualification level. Faculty members are classified as being
doctorally-qualified, professionally-qualified, minimally-qualified, or unqualified.
Findings: Items and issues identified by a site-visit team resulting from its visit to the institution and its
evaluation of the academic business unit’s self-study in order to determine compliance with the IACBE’s
Accreditation Principles. The IACBE Board of Commissioners examines these findings to determine
whether they should be identified as observations, notes, or commendations.
Goal: See Mission/Goal/Objective
Hybrid Program: A program delivered to students partially online and partially face-to-face.
IACBE: The International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. The IACBE is a specialized
accrediting body that promotes and recognizes excellence in business education in institutions of higher
education worldwide through mission-driven and outcomes-based accreditation of business programs at
both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Indirect Measures: See Measures, Indirect
Institution of Higher Education: For IACBE purposes, an institution of higher education:

Is an academic institution that is institutionally accredited by and in good standing with an
appropriate recognized national institutional accrediting organization. For institutions located outside
of the United States, it is an academic institution that has either (1) recognized institutional
accreditation from and good standing with an appropriate organization in the relevant country or
region, or (2) approvals or authorizations to award degrees from an appropriate governing, legal, or
similar body; and

Has an approved, publicly-stated mission appropriate to a college or university; and

Offers at least one bachelor- or graduate-level program in business, with enrolled students, for at least
two years.
See also “Recognized National Institutional Accreditation.”
Institutional Accreditation: Accreditation granted to an academic institution in its entirety by an
accrediting organization.
Intended Outcome: A planned or desired result pertaining to student learning or academic business unit
operational effectiveness.
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Measurement Instruments: Tools used to determine the extent to which intended outcomes have been
achieved. Measurement instruments for student learning can be either direct measures or indirect
measures.
Measures, Direct: Methods used to assess the extent of student achievement of intended learning
outcomes. The measures provide direct evidence to determine whether the desired learning has taken
place (the evidence provided should be relevant, verifiable, and representative). Examples of direct
measures include comprehensive exams, capstone course assessments, portfolio evaluations, pre- and
post-test assessments.
Measures, Indirect: Methods used to assess students’ or external bodies’ perceptions, thoughts, or
opinions pertaining to the educational experiences of students. Examples of indirect measures include exit
surveys, exit interviews, focus groups, and alumni surveys.
Mission/Goal/Objective: Mission is a statement of the purpose of an institution or an academic business
unit, the reason(s) for its existence, and sometimes includes its future direction or vision. Goals are
established to place into action various facets of the mission, purpose, and vision of the institution or the
academic business unit (the results it wants to accomplish in the future). The mission and goals of the
academic business unit should be congruent with those of the institution. Objectives are the specific,
measurable results that the institution or the academic business unit expects to achieve consistent with its
mission and goals.
New Business Program: For IACBE purposes, a new business program is defined to be any business
program (including new majors, concentrations, specializations, emphases, options, and/or tracks) that is
added to an institution’s offerings subsequent to the granting of accreditation and that does not appear in
the listing of accredited programs that are identified in the attachment to the institution’s accreditation
letter.
Note: A note indicates that a specific accreditation principle in the IACBE’s Self-Study Manual has not
been fully met. The academic business unit is responsible for taking corrective action on all notes in the
commissioners’ accreditation letter within the specified timeframe. The academic business unit is
required to report corrective action taken on each note in its annual report until the deficiencies identified
in the note have been eliminated.
Objective: See Mission/Goal/Objective
Observation: An observation is a recommendation by the IACBE Board of Commissioners that it
believes would be helpful to the academic business unit in achieving excellence in business education.
Action on observations is highly recommended, but is not required.
Off-Campus: Any site other than the main campus at which courses are taught by the academic business
unit is considered to be “off campus.” Online and/or video delivery of courses to dedicated sites may also
be considered “off-campus.”
Operational Effectiveness: The ability of the academic business unit to accomplish its operational goals
and intended operational outcomes.
Outcomes Assessment Plan: A document prepared by an academic business unit that outlines the
process it uses to measure the academic quality of its business programs, the extent of its operational
effectiveness, and the degree to which it is accomplishing its mission and broad-based goals. For IACBE
purposes, the document includes a statement of mission and broad-based goals (both student learning and
operational goals); identification of intended student learning outcomes and their associated measurement
tools for each business program; identification of intended operational outcomes and their associated
measurement tools; and a description of the ways in which outcomes assessment is integrated into both
the institution’s and the academic business unit’s strategic planning and budgeting processes.
Principle: The IACBE’s Accreditation Principles represent its criteria for accreditation. The accreditation
principles are based on best practices in business education as defined by the IACBE’s “Characteristics of
Excellence in Business Education.” Each principle is linked to one or more characteristics of excellence.
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Principles allow for a continuum of accomplishment, and are used to assess outcomes, evaluate progress
toward excellence, and encourage continuous improvement.
Program Coverage: Identifies the field of study and courses assigned to a faculty member as part of
his/her teaching load, in order to provide evidence of compliance with the IACBE’s Accreditation
Principle 4.3, which reads “for each business program offered (including majors, concentrations,
specializations, emphases, options, and tracks), the academic business unit should have at least one fulltime doctorally-qualified or professionally-qualified faculty member who teaches in that program.”
Reaffirmation of Accreditation: Once a business program has been granted accreditation by the IACBE,
an academic business unit must have that accreditation reaffirmed periodically by developing a self-study,
undergoing a site visit, and being reviewed by the IACBE Board of Commissioners.
Realized Outcome: A measurable statement of performance resulting from the implementation of a
course of action. A realized outcome may or may not be an indicator of success in achieving goals and
objectives.
Recognized National Institutional Accreditation: Institutional accreditation granted to an academic
institution by an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education
Accreditation (CHEA) or the United States Department of Education (DOE). For IACBE purposes, the
equivalent for institutions located outside of the United States would be recognized institutional
accreditation from an appropriate organization in the relevant country or region.
Rubric: An established guide used to provide consistent evaluations of assessment results generated by
identified measurement instruments. A rubric establishes criteria for objective assessment and evaluation.
A rubric can be a description of performance characteristics corresponding to points on a rating scale, or
an explicit expectation of performance qualities on a rating scale, or a defined scoring point on a scale.
Scholarly and Professional Activities: Those activities and tasks that faculty members undertake in
order to enhance and further develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities within their fields of study.
Self-Study: A comprehensive report prepared by an academic business unit that documents the extent of
the unit’s compliance with the IACBE’s Accreditation Principles.
Site Visit: A comprehensive, on-campus review of the academic business unit’s business programs and
operations in response to the unit’s request for specialized program accreditation. The site visit includes
evaluation of the academic business unit’s self-study by an IACBE site-visit team of professionallytrained peer reviewers.
Specialized Business Program: A niche program in business that is designed to serve a relatively small
target audience. Examples include programs such as health care management, supply-chain management,
hospitality management, sport management, and forensic accounting. Given their unique focus,
undergraduate specialized business programs may justify deviation from Common Professional
Component (CPC) coverage.
Student Learning Outcomes: Measurable knowledge, skills, and abilities of students related to a course
or program of study.
Traditional Areas of Business Education: The following typical disciplinary areas in business: business
administration, accounting, finance, human resources, information management, international business,
management, marketing, economics (principles of microeconomics/macroeconomics), business law,
business ethics, business communication, and business-related quantitative methods.
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